


The Abandoned: Instinct

by OBTheAbandoned



Series: The Abandoned [1]
Category: Orphan Black (TV)
Genre: Gen, Pre-Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-09
Updated: 2016-09-14
Packaged: 2018-05-12 16:57:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 33
Words: 200,428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5673592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OBTheAbandoned/pseuds/OBTheAbandoned
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Lives were in danger, clones were falling ill, and DYAD didn't seem to care. But Leigh Callingham cared. She couldn't help it. It was instinctive." Co-Written by DarkGodAkito and CharlieAmber, The Abandoned tells our version of events leading up through the deaths of the European clones to the start of the canon series.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Orphan Black was created by screenwriter Graeme Manson and director John Fawcett. The Abandoned is purely a fan project we are working on for fun! We are not claiming anything as our own other than the artwork/original characters themselves. We have not made, are not making, and will not make any profit from this. Any official characters and official story elements are copyright © Graeme Manson and John Fawcett.
> 
> The Abandoned was created by DarkGodAkito and CharlieAmber. No art, original characters, or text from this story may be reposted elsewhere without the permission of both writers.

Leigh Callingham felt anger towards DYAD three times in her life. She was sure, as she sat staring at the blonde wig before her, she would feel angry at them again in the future.  


Leigh was four years old when her parents sat her down in the living room to have ‘the talk’ with her. From the serious expressions on Janet and Spencer Callingham’s faces, she briefly wondered if she'd done something wrong, but she changed her mind quickly when her mother offered a reassuring smile. Of course, being a small child, Leigh wasn’t quite observant enough to notice how anxious her parents were.

Looking back, Leigh couldn't remember much of how the conversation went. The only thing that stood out in her memory was her mother saying something about ‘meeting another little girl, just like you’, and then being shown a photograph which her father seemed to have pulled from thin air. Leigh stared at it for a second or two, blinked slowly, and looked up to meet her parents’ gaze.

“That’s me,” were the words that came from her mouth. Then came nervous laughter from Leigh’s mother, a small smile from her father, and an explanation the four year old could just about comprehend.

“This is Rachel. She looks like you because…”

“Because…”

“Is she my twin?” Leigh asked innocently. 

Leigh couldn't quite remember what was said after that. All she knew was that her parents let her believe that this girl, Rachel, was her twin sister for a while, because it was easier than telling the small child the truth. She remembered her mother briefly explaining that the girls were ‘given’ to mothers and fathers who wanted children but couldn’t have any by themselves, and they and Rachel’s parents were given ‘identical babies’. 

Now, Leigh knew this explanation didn't make much sense when she though about it, but back then, she didn’t question it. She learned Janet and Spencer weren’t her ‘real’ parents, and she had a ‘sister’ she had never met. She'd been confused and a little hurt because she couldn’t quite wrap her head around it, and her parents had seen that. They did not explain things in full detail until Leigh was a little older – until she met Rachel.

Leigh and Rachel were five years old when they were finally allowed to meet each other. Between the time Leigh’s parents told her about Rachel and the day they actually met, Leigh underwent routine tests and examinations, which she'd been subject to her entire life. She still wasn’t aware of the true reasons for these tests; she just assumed it was a normal thing normal people had to do.

Meeting Rachel changed everything for Leigh. For a few brief minutes when they came face to face, Leigh thought Rachel was like her in every single way. She seemed just as intrigued by Leigh as Leigh was by her, and so were their parents for that matter. They sat facing each other in a small doctor’s office with an enormous window on the wall, talking about goodness knows what (Leigh was too young and too easily distracted to pay attention to the boring chitchat of adults), while the girls simply watched each other for a while.

After some time, a tall, bald man in a white coat entered the room, and asked the girls if they wanted to go and play together in the next room. Leigh only remembered being in the office with the adults one minute, and in a brightly coloured, child-friendly room the next, with nobody but Rachel to talk to.

It was then that Leigh learned she and Rachel had quite a few differences. The first was that Rachel obviously knew an awful lot more than Leigh did.

“I’m Ashleigh,” Leigh said to her double. She was known as Ashleigh back then. Rachel saw to it that she would be known as Leigh later on in life. 

“I know,” was five year old Rachel’s response. “My mum and dad already said.”

“Yeah,” Leigh said, feeling awkward, and averting her gaze. She didn’t like the way the other girl stared at her, barely moving at all. 

“When did they tell you about all of this?” Leigh found herself asking just to break the terrible silence.

“A year ago. They showed me a picture of you and told me everything.”

“Yeah, same,” Leigh responded. 

“Your parents aren’t scientists?” Rachel asked rather curiously. 

Leigh shook her head. “Uh, no. Mum works for an animal shelter and Dad works for some company doing boring office stuff.”

A small smile tugged at Rachel’s lips.

“Are your parents scientists?” Leigh asked. 

“Of course,” Rachel told her. “They’re directly involved in the experiment.”

“Experiment?”

“The reason we’re in here now. Didn’t you see that big window in the other room? They’re all watching us. They’re probably listening to us as well.”

“What do you mean?” Leigh asked, furrowing her brow in confusion. “They’re doing an experiment on twins? Why?”

Rachel smiled widely this time. She even almost laughed a little. “Twins? You have no idea, do you? We’re clones, silly. That’s the experiment. DYAD made us.”

Leigh’s mind was a blank after that. She vaguely remembered her parents bursting in some time later wanting to take her home; they were upset about something, and looking back, Leigh thought it was because of the way she had to find out from Rachel, and the fact Doctor Leekie and whoever else was in charge expressed enormous disappointment in Leigh’s parents for shunning their responsibilities of preparing Leigh for all of this, and then lying about it-

And then there was another sit down with her parents at home, and this time they really did tell their daughter the truth. They told her about DYAD and what they did. Leigh and Rachel were clones, not twins. Leigh’s parents were desperate for a child, and agreed to DYAD’s terms if it meant they could have one. Leigh was kept in the dark because of her young age, even though her parents were instructed to tell her sooner. It was a lot for Leigh to get her head around. 

Leigh remembered sneaking downstairs and overhearing her parents discussing ‘the poor choices they made, and how it’s all wrong and unfair on Ashleigh and Rachel’, and she also remembered them talking about Rachel’s parents, and how they were starting to wish the four of them could take the girls away from all of this. Leigh was too little to fully understand it all, but their talks stuck in her mind for years to come.

The following year, a fire wiped out six scientists at DYAD, including Rachel’s parents. Leigh didn’t see Rachel again for a long, long time. Two things were certain, though. Leigh grew to accept she was part of an experiment she’d never understand, and her parents never disobeyed DYAD’s orders again. 

The years rolled by, and Leigh found herself slowly adjusting with the knowledge she now had. If she was honest with herself, nothing had really changed. She was still going for routine tests, and sometimes she and Rachel would meet along with DYAD members to discuss their progress. Most importantly, Leigh was encouraged to live as normally as possible. She was free to go to school, make friends, go out and do what she wanted (within reason, of course), and make her own decisions. 

She knew it wasn’t so simple for Rachel. She knew Rachel was home-schooled, and was now in the care of Doctor Leekie. It might have explained why she was a little awkward socially with children from the beginning. It didn’t matter that Leigh was slightly older. Rachel seemed older because of the way she presented herself. Leigh could never quite put her finger on it.

That didn’t stop the two of them from getting into mischief together though. The clones were eleven when they started impersonating each other. Rachel would have days when she decided to be difficult, and Leigh would end up going along with her plans for reasons she still couldn't fathom to this day.

“I don’t feel like being interrogated today,” Rachel told Leigh as they sat side by side in their usual waiting room at DYAD. “It’s the same questions every time. They must get terribly bored of us.”

“What they’re paid to do though,” Leigh said. 

Rachel shrugged. “Ashleigh, go in there and be me.”

“What?”

“Pretend to be me. Like I said, I can’t be bothered.”

“I’m not pretending to be you just ‘cause you don’t wanna answer their questions!” Leigh snapped. “They’d find out! Besides, they wanna talk to me as well. I can’t be in two rooms at once!”

“I’ll be you then,” Rachel suggested offhandedly. “It’ll be interesting.”

“No, Rachel. We’ll be grounded forever!”

“Do it,” Rachel ordered.

“No!” Leigh said defiantly. “I don’t even know that much about you! I might get the questions wrong.”

“Well, that will be their own fault if they can’t tell us apart by now,” Rachel said.

“What’s even the point?” Leigh asked, repressing a sigh. “I don’t even-”

The door to one of the interview rooms opened at that moment, and a spectacled young DYAD man addressed her.

“Ashleigh? We’re ready for you now.”

“Of course,” Rachel said before Leigh could even open her mouth, and she was on her feet in an instant. Then, Rachel turned to Leigh and tugged on her coat. “Give me my coat back, Rachel! You’re always so mean!”

Leigh, too stunned to even respond, allowed Rachel to take her coat and skip towards the office room. The door closed behind her, and all Leigh could do was stare at it.  
Panic didn’t hit her until the door next to it opened, and another man stepped out asking for Rachel to come in. 

Leigh remembered the usual questions being asked, and having no clue how to answer them as Rachel. She also remembered deciding that this was Rachel’s own fault, so she had whatever was coming to her.

Leigh refused to answer any of the questions she was asked. She simply sat there and stared intensely at the man, with what she thought was a perfect impression of Rachel, and the man must have fallen for it, because he didn’t suspect anything was off.

“Rachel, I understand this gets repetitive and boring, but you really must try to co-operate. You can’t sit here in silence; it’s a waste of everyone’s time, including yours. It really is in your best interest to get this over with as quickly and easily as possible.”

More silence. The man sighed irritably and scribbled something on his clipboard. “OK then...let’s talk about Ashleigh. Has there been any improvement between the two of you since our last chat?”

“Improvement?” Leigh spoke for the first time.

The man watched her for a second before flicking through his notes. He found what he was looking for, and then spoke again. “Well for instance, words such as ‘simple’, ‘pushover’, and ‘peasant’ pop up a lot when you’re describing Ashleigh to me, but you never quite explain why. Last month you said ‘Ashleigh is so stupid, she can’t comprehend basic English’, but you didn’t give an example. You also said ‘Ashleigh always smells like a cat and it disgusts me greatly.’”

Leigh felt rage and humiliation build up in her to learn this, but she managed to keep her cool. “I never meant any of that. I’ve actually come to realise that Ashleigh is far more wonderful than I ever noticed. I understand Ashleigh’s family has a lot of pets, and it’s because her mother does a wonderful job of adopting and raising so many poor animals, particularly cats, who are in need of loving homes. In fact, it’s ME with the problem. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I can’t stop staring out of windows.”

An awkward silence followed.

“I think I’ve been taking my problems out on Ashleigh for a while. She’s the only one who’s noticed my window problem, and she keeps trying to talk to me about it, and then I just get mad, so I say bad things about her. I don’t mean any of it. I think I need help. Professional help. I stared out of my bedroom window for five hours straight yesterday.”

“Err, OK Rachel, this is unexpected-”

“I know, but I feel I need to get it off my chest. It’s like I just see a window and I’m drawn to it like a magnet. I don’t know how or why it started, but it just did. I’m scared there’s something wrong with me. Oh, don’t tell Aldous, please, please, please! I just want the window thing to stop!”

The next thing Leigh remembered was seeing Rachel again in the corridor after being dismissed, and war being declared.

“YOU TOLD THEM I’M A HORRIBLE PERSON!” Rachel bellowed as she threw Leigh's coat at her forcefully.

“THAT’S BECAUSE YOU ARE! YOU TOLD THEM I’M A PUSHOVER! AND A PEASANT!”

“YOU’RE SO STUPID YOU DON’T EVEN KNOW WHAT ‘PEASANT’ MEANS!”

“WELL YOU’RE EVEN MORE STUPID BECAUSE ALL YOU DO IS LOOK OUT OF WINDOWS!”

“THAT’S A LIE!”

“YOU’RE LOOKING OUT A WINDOW RIGHT NOW!”

“NO I’M NOT, I JUST GLANCED-”

“SHUT UP, DUNCAN! THIS WAS YOUR STUPID IDEA ANYWAY! HAVE FUN IN THERAPY!”

“YOU GOT ME PUT IN THERAPY?!”

“YOU’LL THANK ME FOR IT WHEN IT FIXES YOUR STUPID WINDOW PROBLEM!”

The girls were separated by members of staff appearing to pull them away from each other, while others stared furiously at them for disturbing their peaceful working environment. The last thing Leigh remembered from this incident was Rachel being dragged, kicking and screaming, towards the exit by at least two adults, and her small, enraged face glaring at Leigh over her shoulder.

“THIS IS WAR, CALLINGHAM! THIS IS WAR!”

Rachel got revenge on Leigh, and Leigh got revenge on Rachel for getting revenge. They would humiliate each other over the years in any way they could think of, including Rachel sneaking into Leigh’s school in her uniform while Leigh was off sick one day and earning Leigh a month’s detention, and Leigh throwing a temper tantrum in front of Leekie and the rest of DYAD about having floor-to-ceiling windows installed in her room, while pretending to be Rachel. It wasn’t long before Leigh broke one of these precious new windows (Rachel would never admit she was extremely fond of them) in retaliation to Rachel drawing all over Leigh’s bedroom walls with crayon, and leaving Leigh to take the blame.  


“It was RACHEL!” Leigh insisted to her parents, who didn’t believe her in the slightest.

Of course, breaking Rachel’s floor-to-ceiling window was a step too far. Leekie insisted Leigh’s parents paid for the damages, which resulted in Leigh being grounded for a month. The girls were also banned from visiting each other’s houses for the next year. What annoyed or amused Leigh the most (she could never quite make up her mind) was that whenever Rachel spotted her anywhere near a window, she would spring to life in panic and force Leigh to move away, as if breaking any windows she came into contact with was a natural reaction to her.

Things calmed down as the girls got older. Each developed their own interests; Leigh in various beauty and hairdressing courses at college, and Rachel in DYAD itself. They saw less and less of each other, and when they met for their usual examinations and questions at DYAD, they would greet each other politely and leave it at that.

Until one afternoon in the waiting room when Rachel decided she was better than Leigh in every way, and made sure Leigh knew it.

The clones had recently turned twenty. Leigh was the first to arrive in the waiting room, and Rachel appeared a few moments later dressed differently to any other time Leigh had seen her. She was wearing smart, expensive-looking clothes, which caused Leigh to frown and raise an eyebrow at her. Rachel simply smirked and delicately sat down next to her.

“Problem, Leigh?” she asked, almost robotically.

“The hell are you wearing?” Leigh asked her. “And since when was my name Leigh?”

“It’s a sophisticated and appropriate outfit hand-picked by the very finest professionals in the fashion industry,” Rachel explained as if Leigh should have known better. “I am constantly improving myself, Leigh, and I think you ought to be doing the same.”

Leigh snorted and slouched in her seat as if to show she didn’t care about bettering herself. “I’m not dressing like some cooperate robot bitch,” she shot at Rachel, trying to provoke a reaction other than smug or robot. 

“Better than dressing like a peasant.”

“I don’t dress like a fuckin' peasant, Rachel,” Leigh sighed wearily. It was true. Leigh had keen eye for fashion herself, and loved to look stylish, but of course, Rachel was always going to be the superior one.

“You speak like one.”

“You speak like a robot.”

“I speak like a professional,” Rachel corrected her.

“A professional what, exactly? I’m taking it you’re mega serious about working with DYAD, then. God, they’ve proper turned you into a minion, haven’t they?”

“I’m nobody’s minion, Leigh,” Rachel told her sternly. “I believe I have a lot to offer the company, if I do say so myself. Aldous seems to think so.”

“Whatever, it’s your life. And stop calling me Leigh. Nobody’s EVER called me Leigh.”

Rachel sat up a little straighter, making herself look even taller and higher up than her double. “Well, I prefer Leigh. It’s shorter and more sophisticated than Ashleigh, which is a name I never particularly liked in the first place.”

“You’re full of shit!” Leigh snapped at her, sitting up straight suddenly to scowl at Rachel. “You can’t just rename me because you think my name’s too trampy-”

“What are you going to do about it?” Rachel asked tonelessly as she stared at the door opposite them, looking rather bored.

“I’ll just ignore you.”

“I’ll be ignored by no one.”

“Yeah, we’ll see.”

“Leigh, Leigh, Leigh, Leigh, Leigh.”

“Eff off. How’d you like it if I started calling you Rach?”

“My name doesn’t need to be shortened. Rachel is a perfectly acceptable name as it is.”

“It’s a friggin’ typical serious-business name. I prefer my own. Sorry.”

“You should think about offering your services to DYAD too,” Rachel told her out of the blue when she decided she was bored of discussing their names. “They made you, after all. I believe working with them is an opportunity neither of us can afford to miss.”

A pause followed. Leigh leaned forward in her chair, and simply stared. “What is it with you? You used to hate DYAD. You used to run around these halls insulting the staff and forcing me to go along with your stupid acts of rebellion.”

“I grew up,” Rachel stated simply. “It seems you’re still yet to do the same.”

“What, so you think I’m immature because I have no interest in DYAD? I don’t hate DYAD Rachel; I’m just not into all this science shit. If they wanted me to work with them, they would have said. Leekie’s never tried to stop me doing what I want to do.”

Leigh sometimes wondered if Rachel used to nag her about joining DYAD because she was jealous of the freedom Leigh had. They were both self-aware their whole lives, but they had their differences. Leigh was allowed to live as she pleased. Rachel’s life was directed for her, and probably would have been even if her parents lived. They were both scientists after all, and Rachel’s father was one of the creators of the clones. That was the experiment; they were both self-aware, but they were still raised in different circumstances. 

“Yes, because working part time in a down-town hair salon is a fantastic way to make a living,” Rachel scorned. 

“Oh shut up,” Leigh snapped. “I enjoy what I do, thanks. Besides, I’m still learning. I’ve got my whole life to work my way up.”

“Perhaps,” Rachel responded. 

Leigh frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Rachel attempted a smile. “Oh, nothing,” she said, and then she stood and strode towards the office door when it opened and she was called in for her routine questions.

Leigh recalled going over the usual questions when it was her turn, and also being told about a new monitor assigned to her. Now she was living in her own place, which was quite a while away from her parents’ house, somebody else had to take over. Leigh wasn’t particularly thrilled by this, especially when she and her new monitor were introduced.  


The new monitor was a young man called Michael Denby, and he worked at the hair salon where Leigh was training. Leigh never quite understood why DYAD chose Michael or how they got him to be her monitor, but she didn’t ask what she didn’t need to know (she was fairly certain Leekie and the others wouldn’t allow her to know anyway), and simply learned to live with Michael around.

“I’m not trying to sound like I’m complaining or anything,” Leigh told Michael tiredly after the end of one of their shifts, “but it doesn’t make much sense to me. They already see me every few months for tests and questioning anyway, so I never really understood the whole monitoring thing. I could understand it if I didn’t know I was a clone, but I’ve always known, so what else are you gonna tell them about me that they don’t find out from me in person?”

“Suppose they wanna know things in more detail, innit?” Michael suggested with a shrug. “It means you don’t have to go and talk to them so often n’all. I’ll be doing most of that for ya now.”

“Eh, whatever,” Leigh sighed, picking up her coat and getting ready to leave. “I’ve got nothing to hide.”

Michael wasn’t so bad. He and Leigh had a great working relationship at the salon, and often went for drinks with their other friends after their shifts. One thing she learned about Michael though (and it was a thing she didn’t particularly approve of) was his drug habits. Leigh didn’t think much of it when they were in his flat smoking weed one night; most people she knew smoked the stuff socially once in a blue moon. But when she caught him doing deals for heroin, she couldn’t help flipping her lid.

“I don’t wanna be monitored by someone doing deals for dangerous drugs like smack!” Leigh bellowed at him when they were back in Michael’s flat. “How long have you been using the stuff for?”

“Since before I met you, right? What you didn’t know never hurt ya, did it? And it ain’t ever interfered with my role as monitor or anything else before!”

“Does Leekie know you’re a smack head?” Leigh demanded. 

No response. Michael refused to look at her. Realisation dawned on Leigh.

“Oh shit,” she breathed, taking a step back from him. “That’s how DYAD got their hooks into you, isn’t it?”

“Look Ashleigh…the drugs ain’t nobody’s business but my own. DYAD promised me protection from the cops with the guarantee I’d never get sent down, but only if I signed a contract agreeing to do this whole monitor bullshit.”

“And you’d rather turn into their minion than try to get clean,” Leigh said, disappointed. 

Michael stared at her. “It’s me who’s supposed to be monitoring you, not the other way around, right? Let’s forget this, like you never caught me doin’ deals, and we never had this chat.”

Leigh closed her eyes, repressed a frown, and hurried to the door to leave. “Fine. Whatever. But you keep your drugs away from me, yeah? If I catch you using them when I’m around, I’m going straight to Leekie and asking for a new monitor.”

It was the first time Leigh felt genuine anger towards DYAD. They were using Michael. When it came down to it, it was blackmail, pure and simple. Become a foot soldier in the cloning experiment, or go down for possession of drugs. It seemed like DYAD didn’t even care if Michael was still using the stuff. In Leigh’s opinion, the least they could do was help him get clean. Even if they were trying to help him, they obviously weren’t doing a very good job, and the worst part was Leigh couldn’t confront Leekie about it. How many other ordinary people had DYAD forced to work for them? Were her own parents forced into the experiment too? Were Rachel’s?

A few days before Rachel’s twenty-fifth birthday, Leigh was surprised when a knock at her door turned out to be Rachel herself. It was an early Saturday morning, and Leigh was still in her sleepwear (Leigh thought Rachel chose morning because she knew Leigh would be looking like a scruff so early on, and Rachel wanted to look superior in her robot bitch outfit). Rachel strolled into Leigh’s living room before Leigh could even invite her in, and perched herself on the sofa.

Leigh stared at her. “Can I help you?” she snapped irritably. 

Mornings did not agree with her. Mornings especially did not agree with her when she hadn’t had her first cup of tea of the day and Rachel Duncan had just forced her way into her house.

“I want my hair done before my birthday on Monday,” Rachel told her simply. “You’re going to do it for me.”

Leigh continued to stare. Her tired brain wasn’t fully awake. “Uh…what?”

“You heard. I desire a change of appearance, and you’re the one for the job.”

A pause followed. Leigh blinked and crossed the room. “Are you taking the piss?” she asked harshly. “Thought you disapproved of me and my hairdressing abilities? Go hire a high street professional or something. You’re loaded, you can afford it.”

“I think you can just about manage,” Rachel told her. “Besides, it was a last minute decision and I doubt I’d get an appointment today now.”

Leigh sighed and collapsed onto the sofa, burying her face. “Why does it have to be today? Go book an appointment for next week-”

“I want it done before Monday,” Rachel interrupted, “and I have plans tomorrow. So go and prepare. I’ll be waiting.”

Leigh said nothing for a minute, but raised her hand and showed two fingers to Rachel.“Piss off,” she grumbled. 

Rachel refused to take no for an answer. After half an hour of wearing Leigh down and threatening to have her cats removed and taken to the labs at DYAD to be experimented on in ways Leigh could hardly bear to imagine, Rachel got her way. Leigh finally groaned in defeat and agreed to the task. 

“I’m making tea first. I’m having at least two cups, and then I’m getting dressed and having breakfast. After that, I might even have another cup of tea, so don’t blame me if you’re sitting there bored for God knows how long. And don’t blame me if you don’t like your new haircut, either.”

“Are you at least going to offer me a cup of tea while I wait?” Rachel asked smugly. 

Leigh rolled her eyes, made her way to the kitchen and reached out to flick the switch on the kettle. “No.”

So, Leigh cut and styled Rachel’s hair exactly how she wanted it. She provided Leigh with photographs as examples, to which Leigh scrunched up her nose in disgust.

“You ARE taking the piss,” she complained. “You really want it this short? And you want to go blonde?!”

“Can you just get on with it, please?” Rachel asked, sounding a bit irritable herself now.

“This is a massive change, Rachel. You can’t just change it back if you don’t like it; it’ll take years for you to grow it out again. And what if you decide you hate it? I’d take a week or so to think about it if I were you.”

“I do not need to think about it, Leigh. Can you do it or not?”

“Yeah, of course I can bloody do it. I just don’t want you bitching at me if you don’t like it, because if you do, I’m gonna kick your arse.”

Rachel knew better than to take Leigh’s threats seriously, and after a couple of hours of sitting in Leigh’s living room while her double worked, Rachel’s look was completely transformed. Her long, dark hair was cut and shaped into the short, blonde bob Rachel requested, and Leigh had to admit to herself she was pleased with her work. She held her breath in anticipation while Rachel examined her hair in the mirror, and was relieved to see a tiny smile appear on Rachel’s lips.

“Excellent, Leigh. It’s better than I expected.”

“Yeah, well, I AM a professional,” Leigh reminded her bitterly. “Just because I don’t work in some fancy posh salon doesn’t mean I don’t know what I’m doing.”

Rachel lightly got to her feet and made her way to the door. “I’ll see you when I see you,” she told Leigh airily. 

Leigh tugged on Rachel's arm to stop her. “Hold on. That’s sixty quid for the cut and colour.”

Rachel smiled falsely. “I never said I was paying you.”

“I never said I was doing it for free!”

“Leigh, please, my birthday’s coming up. Can’t we consider this a birthday gift from one sister to another?”

“You’re not my sister,” Leigh told her sternly. “And I want to be paid.”

Rachel’s smile faltered. She pulled her arm out of Leigh’s grasp and opened the front door. “I can’t pay you right now; I don’t have money on me. I’ll get the money to you as soon as possible.”

Rachel was gone before Leigh could get another word in. She knew wasn’t going to be paid what she was owed.

Whenever Leigh saw Rachel again from that point on, she couldn’t help feeling a little sad. She thought she was just annoyed about Rachel scamming her out of sixty pounds at first, but she realised it was more than that when she began to wonder if she could ever get used to seeing Rachel with her new haircut. The two of them had been so similar when they were younger; of course Rachel was always the more dominant and arrogant of the two, but they’d still had fun impersonating each other and wreaking havoc at DYAD. 

Rachel had changed so much over the years. It was as though she was trying to differ herself from Leigh as much as she possibly could. Perhaps she just wanted her individuality.  


Leigh had often thought about changing the style and colour of her own hair over the years, but she could never bring herself to do it. The long, dark hair was the only thing she and Rachel had in common before Rachel insisted on changing her own. Whether Leigh consciously knew it or not, she wasn’t sure she wanted to take away the last thing the girls had in common. It was stupid. She knew it was stupid, but it hurt a little that Rachel no longer wanted that connection. 

It was for this reason that, three years later, Leigh couldn’t understand why Rachel was still so determined to get her to apply for a position at DYAD.

“For the last time,” Leigh groaned tiredly one morning in Rachel’s new office, “I don’t wanna work here, Rachel. I’ve just been offered a promotion at work and I’m moving to a new salon.”

“Oh please,” Rachel said in disapproval.

“Oi! I could end up being salon manager if I keep up the good work! Don’t take the piss!”

“I simply think you can do so much better, Leigh,” Rachel insisted. “With the right training, you could offer your skills-”

“Skills? What use are my skills to DYAD? You want me to be DYAD’s personal stylist? Sorry, but the last time I did your hair, you never paid me. Here we are four years later-”

“Three years,” Rachel corrected her.

“-and you still owe me sixty quid.”

“You could be earning so much more than what you do now if you would just consider my offer,” Rachel tried to explain. “You won’t even care about sixty measly pounds anymore.”

“But what’s the point if I don’t enjoy it? I’ve told you before. I’ve never been into science. I’m not smart like you and Leekie; it just doesn’t interest me.”

“You don’t necessarily need to do anything scientific. There are desk jobs, office work, field work; you’re good with people, for example – you have excellent communication skills-”

“All boring bullshit I don’t want any part of,” Leigh groaned.

“Well, when you’re in a working environment you do, at least,” Rachel added as an afterthought.

“Why is this so important to you? Why do you care so much what I do with my life?”

“Leigh…I just think-”

“No,” Leigh interrupted, standing up quickly. “I’m not hearing it, Rachel. You’re a friggin' control freak. You always were. I enjoy what I do. I have good friends and I’m happy. Just because you’re unhappy with your shitty life doesn’t mean you can ruin mine as well. Oh, and it’s Ashleigh, not Leigh. I hate being called Leigh. Always have.”

Leigh didn’t even wait for Rachel’s reaction. She was out of the door and half way down the corridor before she even realised what she had said to her double. 

She wasn't sure when exactly she realised it, but at some point after leaving Rachel’s office that day, Leigh was reminded of the horrid fact it was the anniversary of Ethan and Susan Duncan’s demise. She vaguely recalled making her way to Rachel’s place that evening, and clearly recalled the severe guilt she felt for the harsh words she spoke earlier that day. She wasn't sure what compelled her to visit Rachel. She wasn't sure why Rachel even let her in when she knocked on the door. 

Rachel stepped aside without a word, and Leigh instantly noticed the old video tapes scattered on the floor by the television. Rachel had clearly paused one of the tapes to let Leigh in. Rachel’s six year old face shone light into the otherwise dim room.

The adult Rachel mindlessly wandered towards the large window on the other side of the room with a glass of wine in her hand. 

Leigh hesitated and started to follow. “I’m sorry about earlier. I shouldn’t have been such a bitch.”

“Oh, don’t be,” Rachel told her quietly. “I’d be a bitch to me as well.”

Leigh knew Rachel wouldn’t be talking like this if she wasn’t so drunk. She couldn’t help wondering how much Rachel had had. 

“Well, it was wrong of me,” Leigh insisted with a shrug. Rachel said nothing for a while. Leigh could see her watching her through the reflection in the dark window, but neither of them moved. “Anyway, I dunno why I came here. I’ll go,” Leigh said, turning to leave, but what Rachel said next stopped her in her tracks.

“What do you think it’d be like if we didn’t know what we are?” she asked loudly. “If we weren’t self-aware?”

“Erm, well…I don’t suppose we’d know each other,” Leigh suggested. Rachel smiled sadly, but she still didn’t pull her gaze away from the window. Leigh thought she might melt into the glass and become a part of it if she managed to get any closer.

“You say that as though it would be a bad thing,” Rachel responded.

Leigh managed to laugh. “You’re not all bad, Duncan. We've had good times.”

“Yet all I seem to do is anger you,” Rachel whispered.

Leigh dared to take a step towards her. “I’m sure I piss you off just as much,” she reasoned.

Another weak smile from Rachel. Another sip of wine, and then-

“We’re not the only ones, Leigh.”

A pause.

“What?”

Rachel finally turned away from the window to look Leigh directly in the eyes. “We’re not the only clones. There are others.”

There are others. 

That night, Rachel briefly explained about other clones living all over the world, all of them unaware, but monitored…Leigh didn’t believe her at first. She was sure this was another of Rachel’s tricks just to cause confusion and outrage for her own entertainment, but that wouldn’t make sense; not when Rachel was so down and drunk and serious. 

“You don’t know the things I do, Leigh,” Rachel breathed, unblinking. “There are risks. Risks not even I was aware of; risks I probably would have remained ignorant to if I had never started working for DYAD like this…”

“What risks?” Leigh asked, panicked. 

“Health risks,” Rachel offered as an explanation. “Health risks these unaware clones have no clue about, and next to no hope of receiving a cure should they develop the illness. I thought perhaps if…if we both became more directly involved with DYAD…if you agreed to work for them…you might be more informed and better protected.”

Rachel’s explanation confused Leigh a little. If the unaware clones had no hope of a cure, what made Rachel think she and Leigh had hope if they developed this mystery illness she was talking about? Did that mean DYAD had a cure, but was unwilling to use it to save the clones? Would they only use it on clones like Rachel, who were valuable to their company, and not just seen as some expendable product of their experiment? 

This was the second time Leigh felt anger towards DYAD. Without thinking, she stepped towards Rachel, took the glass of wine from her, and downed the drink.

Rachel refused to discuss this information with Leigh again. She knew she’d gone a step too far in revealing anything to Leigh at all, and Leigh knew it was pointless to try and get her to talk. Rachel was a lost cause. She had been from the moment Leekie decided to raise her himself. However much she resented DYAD deep down, she was too broken to break free and fight back. Her regret at revealing anything to Leigh about the other clones and illness was proof enough of that.

It was this that stopped Rachel wanting to see or speak to Leigh again. It was this that finally convinced Leigh to apply for a position at DYAD. 

Leigh had been working part time for DYAD as a receptionist. It was boring work, and she hated it, but it was something, at least, and it gave her a better chance of finding out what she so desperately wanted to know. She had access to places she was never allowed in when she only came here for her routine tests. 

Leigh was sitting at home by herself. A cat was perched next to her, watching curiously as Leigh blankly stared at the blonde wig standing on a dummy head in front of her. She held a pair of scissors in her hand, and was trying to remember exactly how she styled Rachel’s hair a few years back without relying on the internet for pictures. She was still being monitored. She never knew when her internet history would be checked.

The conversation Leigh overheard earlier that day played over and over again in her mind. Like any other time Leigh discovered something shocking in her life, her memory was a bit of a blur, despite the fact she only learned this a few hours ago. She remembered only key details.

Doctor Leekie in a room with some other DYAD officials. Something about unaware clones in Europe. Something about a killer. Something about their experiments being wiped out. Something about DYAD being reluctant to take action out of fear of leading the killer to them, and out of fear of ruining the experiment by approaching the other clones to warn them.

This was the third time Leigh felt angry at DYAD. She was sure, as she willed herself to recreate Rachel’s haircut on the wig before her, she was going to feel angry at DYAD a lot more in the future. She was sure she was going to look back on this and wish she’d taken another course of action, but in that moment, all she knew was lives were in danger, clones were falling ill, and DYAD didn't seem to care.

But Leigh cared. She cared enough to become Rachel one last time in order to locate whatever information she needed from DYAD. She knew it was madness, but as Leigh would soon discover, madness seemed to be a genetic trait.

She couldn't help it. It was instinctive.


	2. Chapter 1

“Dr. MacPherson to Exam Room Eight.”

The voice that echoed slightly over the aged intercom system made the brunette look up from where she stood, cradling a cup of coffee. There was never a dull moment in the A&E department. She’d seen everything from cuts and bruises to full on head trauma just this morning alone.

She set her coffee aside and grabbed her white coat, looking herself over in the staff room mirror. She adjusted her stethoscope and put on her name tag, which read ‘ _Aila MacPherson, PHD_ ’ in bold, black letters.

Nodding to herself, Aila disposed of what was left of her drink and made her way out into the hallway. She was often the main person dealing with the lesser injuries and illnesses in the A&E department during the day shift, even though she hadn't been an official doctor for very long.

Walking through the crowded hallways, Aila smiled brightly at the doctors, students, and patients she saw. She believed having a positive attitude was just as important to medicine as the medicine itself.

The brunette grabbed the clipboard off of the door as she entered Exam Room Right, and quickly scanned it to get an idea of what she was helping with. The patient was twenty-one year old David Bruel, who was apparently having head pain and confusion.

Aila smiled. “Good afternoon Mr. Bruel. My name’s Dr. MacPherson,” she said, her thick Scottish accent making her slightly difficult to understand to anyone who wasn’t used to hearing it. “What seems to be the trouble today?”

The young man glanced up at her, and the first thing Aila noticed was the subtle bruising on his face. The second thing she noticed was the unfocused, dazed look in his eyes. He  tilted his head and shrugged. “Dunno Doc. Me mates just dropped me off here,” he spoke.

Aila nodded, already suspecting what might have been wrong. “Well lay back and we’ll have a look, aye? Better safe than sorry,” she said with a smile, and she was pleased to see David obey the order. It always made things easier when patients didn’t fight or argue with simple commands.

Aila gave the patient a basic check over, testing his breathing, reflexes, and blood pressure before taking out a small flashlight. She quickly and skillfully shone it into one eye, and then the other. She asked David questions about the bruising, but he didn’t seem to remember much about the night before.

“Well Mr. Bruel,” Aila said, nodding, “I believe you may have a minor concussion. We’ll do further testing, though I’d advise staying here overnight for observation. We’ll get you set up in a room and go from there, alright?”

“Sure doc…cheers,” he said, still looking entirely out of it.

Aila smiled and stepped out of the room. She informed a nurse to move her patient up to one of the overnight rooms. The afternoon moved quickly from there, and when the clock hit four, Aila made her way to the front of the hospital after hanging up her coat for the evening.

Stepping outside with her bag slung over her shoulder, the doctor smiled at the feeling of the cool air. She walked down the long flight of stairs and made her way out onto the street. She could drive, but often didn’t due to living reasonably close by. She knew the area could be dangerous in the evenings and especially at night, but she never had any problems.

Aila knew the route by heart, and fifteen minutes later, she walked up the steps to her apartment. It was a small place, but very homey. She threw her bag on the table and started on dinner, throwing some flavored tofu and pre-chopped vegetables into a pan for a quick stir-fry. She had the day off of work the next day, and so rather than having water, she decided to pour a glass of red wine and settled down on the sofa to watch TV.

\--

Aila awoke the next morning to the sound of her alarm clock, signaling that it was half past five. Normally, she wouldn’t have a problem getting up and going for her morning run, though this morning her limbs were heavy, and she felt groggy. Mornings like this had started happening once every few months, and over time, the doctor started to notice something strange happening.

She would have odd dreams about men in hazmat suits coming into her room to give her strong sedatives before the dream faded off into a blur of darkness, though somewhere in the back of her mind, she felt like there was something strange going on.

Aila tried confiding in one of the professors at the hospital. He'd been Aila's friend since she’d started working there, though he convinced her she was paranoid, and wasn’t talking sense. Aila had a feeling that wasn’t the case though, after waking up one morning and finding a piece of a syringe on the floor beside her bed. 

She kept her suspicions to herself though, and tried to get on with it day by day. She had no idea why anyone would want to come into her house at night and do goodness knows what...but on her next paycheck, she decided she'd invest in a small camera to prove she wasn't paranoid or coming up with crazy conspiracy theories.

Grunting, the doctor swung her legs over the bed and stood to make her way into the bathroom. Under the bright lights in front of the mirror, she looked down at her arms and noticed what looked like track marks.

This wasn’t the first time this had happened, further solidifying her convection that something wasn't right. The marks were faint, barely visible, though her eyes had been expertly trained to spot small marks made by needles.

Aila took photographs of the marks before getting into the shower. The hot steam helped clear her thoughts, though she struggled to come up with a logical explanation for these bizarre events.

It wasn’t as thought she was anyone special. She was just a woman who worked in A&E. Most of the patients she saw were just everyday people who had gotten themselves into accidents and needed stitching up. While her work was never boring, it wasn’t exactly the definition of a job that would warrant whatever it was that was going on.

Aila sighed and shook her head, wondering if she really was being overly paranoid. The conflicting thoughts didn’t offer any answers though, so she carried on with her morning, determined to keep looking on the positive side of things.

The heavy feeling in her limbs wore off relatively quickly, and Aila soon felt like herself again. She went out for her run, and spent the rest of the morning reading by the window.

Later on, Aila's phone rang. The brunette didn’t recognize the number on the caller ID, so she shrugged it off as a sales call. A few minutes later though, her phone rang again, showing the same number.

Aila rolled her eyes, but picked it up to answer. “Aye? Who is this?”

Rather than a sales pitch though, she was met with silence accompanied by quick breathing. The line went dead shortly thereafter.

Aila blinked slowly. “What the friggin' hell was that about?” she muttered to herself.

The doctor shook her head and turned her attention back to her book. When her phone went off for a third time, she tried not to appear spooked, but she was feeling uneasy now. Aila ignored the call, but moved away from the windows to keep hidden and make sure the doors were locked.

She walked into the kitchen and sat at the table beside her block of cooking knives. She took one knife out and placed it in reach. She set her phone on the table and eyed it cautiously, though as the minutes passed by, she started to feel rather silly. First she had weird theories about people entering her house at night, and now she was being paranoid over a weird phone call.

Aila had just decided to finish reading when her phone rang yet again. The doctor took the call, picked up the knife, and braced herself...but she was prevented from talking by another voice on the line.

“DON’T hang up, OK!? You’re Aila, right? Aila MacPherson?”

The voice was female, and sounded British, though the weirdest thing of all was the fact it sounded a lot like Aila's.

“Aye, I am. Just who the flaming hell is this? If this is some kind of weird prank, it’s a pissing bad one,” Aila shot back. She walked around her apartment aimlessly as she gripped the knife in her hand.

“It’s NOT a prank! Just shut up and listen! God, you have no idea how hard this is for me!” the mysterious woman snapped. “Look, I can’t tell you much here. They might be listening in on your phone. We need to meet somewhere. It’s important! I have reason to suspect you might be in danger.”

Aila raised an eyebrow. “As if I’m meeting someone I don’t know who just called me out of the blue,” she snapped, bewildered. Was this chick for real? ‘They’ might be listening in? She might be in danger? This was sounding like something out of a bad horror movie.

The woman on the line huffed and sounded angry. “Look, I’m TRYING to help you here! Pick somewhere public if it makes you feel safer, but we’ve GOT to meet. You’ll understand when we do.”

Aila sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. She felt like she was going to regret this, but she nodded. “Fine. Meet me at Arcaffe in City Centre in a half hour,” she instructed, knowing that the place was always packed. If nothing else, at least they had good salad and coffee.

“Yeah, fine, I’ll be there,” the voice said hurriedly. “Wait, shit...where is that? Oh sod it; I’ll look it up online. See you soon.”

The line went dead.

Aila sighed and shook her head. What the hell had she just agreed to? Still, that chick said she was in danger. It was all crazy and confusing, but she figured there was only one way to find out what was going on.

Grabbing her coat, the doctor took her keys and walked out of the door, quickly sprinting to her car in case someone was waiting for her. She felt stupid and paranoid again, but  this day was proving to be weird. She was _allowed_ to feel paranoid.

Checking over her car, a small red hatchback, Aila turned the engine on and made her way towards Glasgow City Centre.

\--

Leigh stood staring at the phone in her hand after she hung up. She found herself unable to move for a few minutes, unable to believe all she had managed to do in just a few days.

She had checked into a small B&B in Glasgow the previous night after sneaking away from her home in London without a word to anyone. She still wasn’t sure what exactly compelled her to access Rachel and Leekie’s files at DYAD while disguised as Rachel herself and then go on the run; she didn’t even _know_ these other clones. Why should she care so much?

“Oh shit,” Leigh said to herself, still staring at the phone with wide eyes. Then her gaze travelled up to meet her reflection in the bathroom mirror before her, and she remembered the pair of scissors clasped in her right hand.

She'd been cutting chunks out of her own hair (which was now an auburn colour as opposed to dark brown since she thought a major change of appearance would make it harder for DYAD to find her) while debating making the call to Aila. When she finally plucked up the courage to speak, she absently took more off the length than she intended. Not only that, but she'd never attempted to cut and style her own hair before. It was harder than she thought it’d be.

“Oh shit,” she muttered again.

This was bad.

But there were more important things to worry about than her botched haircut. She had to meet Aila in just under half an hour, she had no clue how to get to the location they agreed to meet, she wasn’t even dressed yet, and massive chunks of hair littered the bathroom floor and sink.

“Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit,” Leigh continued to scold herself while desperately and quickly fixing her hair as best she could. She gave herself a few layers and decided to go with the scruffy look. She could get some hair product later on to give it more texture and style it better; maybe she could neaten it up with scissors when she had more time, but for now it’d have to do.

Finally willing herself to turn away from the mirror, Leigh fled to the bedroom, seized the small suitcase she had brought with her, and emptied its contents onto the bed. She chose the first outfit she saw and dressed as quickly as possible, and threw everything else back into the case. She zipped it up and threw it under the bed.

Then Leigh turned her attention back to the phone she had called Aila on. She’d left her own mobile phone at home, along with her laptop and any other personal items, apart from a few sets of clothes and as much money she could take from her bank account using a cash machine. She had planned to go into the bank and make a larger withdrawal, but that could take a while, and Leigh didn’t feel as though she had time. She was worried about using her card while in Scotland. She knew DYAD was perfectly capable of viewing her bank transactions and tracking her location, so using cash was probably the safer option for now.

She’d purchased the phone from the first phone store she found upon arriving in Glasgow. It wasn’t a particularly good phone; it was a rather old model, but Leigh didn’t care. She didn’t need to be spending a lot on something that was supposed to be convenient and keep her hidden from DYAD. It was just good enough to give her internet access, so while she hastily tidied up and disposed of as much loose hair as she could, she loaded the browser and searched for directions to Glasgow City Centre.

And then came the hard bit.

The very thought of meeting Aila face to face made Leigh sick to her stomach. She had no idea what to expect. She had no idea what she would even say. She’d already freaked out and hung up before _speaking_ to Aila, so how was _this_ going to go down? How was she going to tell the doctor someone was out to kill her and expect things to go smoothly?

Leigh double-checked she had everything she needed. Phone. Money. Files from DYAD. Oh God, Rachel would never forgive her if she found out Leigh had made copies of the files. She could just picture Rachel's blank, disapproving robot bitch face...

Leigh locked the door to her room and exited the B&B quickly, pulling up her hood over her head as she went. She gripped her bag firmly with one hand, and stared furiously at her new phone in the other. When at last she figured out which way she was going, she wasted no time and headed for the nearest bus stop.

\--

Leigh spotted Aila almost instantly. She arrived at their meeting place late; her new phone decided to take her in the wrong direction upon arriving in the City Centre, or Leigh simply had trouble reading the map…she wasn’t sure which. But when she found Arcaffe at last, there was no mistaking the recognisable face of the clone sitting at an isolated table eating salad.

Leigh felt sick again. She absently pulled her scarf over her face to cover herself. Something about Aila reminded Leigh of Rachel at a first glance; the Rachel Leigh knew before the proclone underwent her transformation. But after a few seconds, it was clear Aila was nothing like Rachel at all. She didn’t have that unnerving look in her eyes as far as Leigh could tell. It simply took her a bit of time to notice it.

Heart pounding rapidly, Leigh took a few steps closer to Aila. She was aware of the doctor looking up and around occasionally for signs of the mystery caller, but she hadn’t appeared to notice Leigh watching her yet, so Leigh held her breath and stepped into clear view before nerves got the better of her.

“Aila?” Leigh spoke, voice muffled behind her scarf.

The doctor looked up at the sound of her own name, and stared at Leigh with a look  curiosity and surprise. She looked Leigh up and down.

“Aye? Who are you then? Look like a desert nomad with that getup,” Aila said after a few minutes in her thick Scottish accent.

Leigh thought she sounded very cautious. She could only stand and stare though, shaking a bit as she took in the reality that there really were others like her and Rachel; clones who didn’t _know_. Even though she’d been told about them, and had read about them, it was a whole different experience to meet one in person.

Aila glanced up again and raised an eyebrow. “Well sit down at least.”

Leigh hesitated for a second or two before pulling up a chair. “Look, I’m not dodgy, OK? Honest. I just can’t risk showing my face in here. This is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. I really think we need to go somewhere quieter.”

Leigh’s eyes remained wide while Aila observed her. The doctor brought her fork up to her face to finish her off her salad and then placed it down on her dish.

“I’d prefer to stay where we are,” she told Leigh, uneasy at the idea of leaving with a stranger who looked like a dangerous thug. “So who are you? What’s your name?”

Leigh swallowed hard. She almost gave her full, real name, but a mix of paranoia and instinct told her that would be a bad idea. “Leigh,” she decided on. Rachel’s stupid nickname for her would be useful after all.

“Leigh what?” Aila urged her to elaborate.

“Just Leigh,” Leigh insisted. “It’s not safe to tell you my full name; not now at least. That way they can’t get anything out of you if they come looking for me and find you instead. Plausible deniability.”

The doctor frowned in confusion and remained silent for a second or two. Leigh was starting to sweat under her many layers, but she refused to remove the scarf and hood.

“What do you mean ‘they’?” Aila asked at last, trying to get some sense out of the girl.

Leigh sighed. “You’re in danger, Aila,” she said seriously, forcing eye contact from underneath her hood. “We all are.”

Aila raised an eyebrow; a look Leigh noticed was common for her. She looked unimpressed, but interested still. “‘We?’ I think you’ve got the wrong girl. I’m not involved in anything dodgy that would warrant anyone to come after me; I’m just a simple doctor,” she said, becoming more skeptical by the minute. “And furthermore, what proof do I have that you’re not just trying to bait me for whatever reason? To be blunt, you’re the most suspicious person I’ve seen all week.”

Leigh froze in shock while Aila waved a waitress over to collect her plate and deliver the bill. This was completely frustrating, but if the tables were turned, the rational side of Leigh knew she’d give the same reaction.

“There are things you don’t know about, Aila,” Leigh said a little desperately, impatience clear in her tone. “Things I didn’t know about myself until…until…”

Leigh stopped. God, she was starting to sound like Rachel. How humiliating. She mentally cursed to herself for letting her thoughts distract her, and looked up at Aila again, who seemed thoroughly disgusted in Leigh’s opinion.

Leigh threw back her hood quickly, revealing her messy reddish hair. She raised her hand to her scarf, and paused. “Don’t freak out,” she demanded, sounding sterner than she intended. She didn’t want to have to do this here, but she could think of no other way to get the doctor to take her seriously.

The scarf came down. She sat up straight, allowing Aila to get a good look at her.

“Like I said,” Leigh spoke before Aila could get a word in. “There are things you don’t know.”

Aila blinked slowly, staring at Leigh in silence for several minutes. Leigh let her take it in, preparing for some type of outburst as time dragged on. Truthfully, she didn’t know how she would contain it if it happened. She hadn’t pictured revealing her face in such a public place.

“Well…” the doctor started slowly, surprising Leigh with her calm voice. “You definitely have my attention now. Alright…so what is this then? I have a British twin? Someone else dear old mum couldn’t be arsed with and threw into foster care?”

This was the most logical thing to assume. Leigh remembered it had been her first thought as well, when she’d met Rachel for the first time all those years ago. She guessed anyone would assume that was the case before knowing the much darker truth.

“The thing is it’s a hell of a lot more complicated than twins. I only wish it were that simple, Aila, but the truth is, we’re not the only ones. There are others.”

Leigh could tell this must be getting too much for Aila, however calm and collected she appeared on the surface. Again, Leigh was reminded of Rachel. It was an ability Leigh envied. She had never been any good at keeping her cool and controlling her temper.

“Aila,” Leigh spoke again urgently. She closed her eyes, suppressed a sigh, and covered her face in confusion while she tried to figure out what to say. “We can’t talk here. You might be being watched. We can’t risk anyone overhearing. What I need to tell you is going to take time, and it’s dangerous. But you need to know the truth about who you are and the dangers you, me and the rest of us are about to face. Will you _please_ meet me in a quieter place? It doesn’t have to be now. You can come to the B &B I’m staying at later if you need time, but wherever we go, you need to make sure you’re alone.”

Leigh wanted to tell her about monitors; Aila was bound to have one if Rachel was right that even the unaware clones were being watched. How did Leigh know Aila hadn’t accidentally brought her monitor with her? She could only hope the doctor would agree to her request and say a word to nobody else about what had just happened.

Aila tilted her head to the side, taking it all in. She nodded after a few minutes. “Fine. I’ll admit you have me interested, even if it’s probably not the smartest thing I’ve ever agreed to.” She smirked and leaned back in her chair. “Give me the address. I’ll stop by this evening.”

Relief swept over Leigh, however little it was. She scrambled around for something in her bag and pulled out a pen someone had left behind on the train to Scotland, which she pinched for herself. Aila watched as Leigh scribbled the address of the B&B on a napkin lying on the table.

“Here. DON’T call me from your own phone, land-line or mobile. If you need to get in touch, use a public phone, and make sure nobody is following you. If not, see you tonight.”

Leigh stood up and recovered her face, eager to get out public view as quickly as possible. She glanced back over her shoulder at Aila one last time before exiting the café and disappearing into the crowd.

Aila watched as the mysterious woman who shared her face left as quickly as she’d arrived. She held the napkin and looked at the address. She’d never heard of the place, but she figured it wouldn’t be too hard to find. She’d lived in this city for ten years, and by now had a pretty good idea of where things were.

She remained sitting at the table to let everything sink in. This was by far the most bizarre thing that had ever happened to her. That woman, Leigh, said there were others and it was more complicated than being twins. How many more could there possibly be?

In her years as a doctor, Aila had encountered identical twins before. She’d even encountered identical triplets once, but something about the way Leigh said ‘we’ and ‘us’ made it sound like there was a huge group of them. Aila knew this wasn’t impossible, but it was highly improbable. She didn't know how many identical siblings could exist in a single set, but there couldn't be _that_ many, surely.

Sighing and running a hand through her hair, the doctor paid for her meal and stood slowly. She made her way out onto the street and paused to look around for Leigh...but it seemed the other woman was long gone.

Aila shook her head and made her way to her car, making sure the napkin was safely in her pocket. The drive home was slow and full of thoughts that didn’t make much sense. It was like she’d been given the pieces of an incomplete puzzle that she had no way of putting together until she was able to find more pieces.

Leigh said she was in danger, and that ‘they’ might be watching. In the back of her mind, the doctor wondered if ‘they’ were the same people she suspected were coming into her house at night. As freaked out as she was feeling about this, it was the only thing that made sense so far. That thought wasn’t much of a comfort, though.

“Holy shit. What’ve I been dragged into?” she muttered. The more she thought about it, the more uneasy she felt.

As she pulled up to her apartment, the doctor began to feel restless. She looked around, as if the mysterious people could be around every corner. She hated feeling so jumpy and paranoid, and wondered if this was all just some big sick joke.

Walking into Apartment Four, the doctor went straight for the fridge and poured herself a small glass of wine. The brunette slowly let out a breath she didn’t realise she’d been holding as she settled on the sofa and looked up at the ceiling. She sipped at her drink quickly, feeling more at ease as she did.

Aila walked over to her closet after setting down her empty glass, and dug out a code-locked box containing photographs she’d taken over the past few months. She retrieved broken syringe she'd found that morning as well. She wondered if she should take them along to show Leigh. Maybe the other woman would have some answers for her.

Aila sat on the floor of her bedroom and thought about Leigh, and how shocked she’d been to have seen the other woman’s face. She always wondered what it would be like to have a sibling.

The doctor was abandoned at birth and spent the first thirteen years of her life in the foster care system. She was thrown from house to house like a stray animal, and each new place seemed to be worse than the last. Never once did she consider the possibility of _actually_ having a sister. It was strange and intriguing and overwhelming, but she wanted to know more. Glancing at the clock, she realised it was nearly six at night already. She figured she should eat something and get ready.

Aila put together a quick meal and ate in silence, watching as the sun began to set, bathing the room in a deep golden glow. After eating, she took a quick shower and changed her clothes before taking her locked box and walking out of the door.

Aila debated between taking her car and finding a taxi. She supposed the taxi might be better, because she didn’t know exactly where the B&B was, and also because of Leigh’s warnings about being followed.

While silly to think about, the doctor had seen enough movies to know how easily cars could be tracked.  There really wasn’t anything wrong with taking a taxi. She had enough money for one.

“Aila?”

Aila froze and looked around, seeing a familiar man in a white coat. She smiled, even if it was a little bit forced. “Dr. Burns, hello. How are you?” she asked politely, holding her box to her side tightly.

Dr. Joshua Burns was a fellow A&E doctor, as well as a hands-on teacher at the hospital. He’d become Aila's friend fairly quickly after she started her residency four years ago. Joshua was around her age, and had tried asking her out several times despite always being turned down.

“Good, good. Just got off shift,” Joshua said with a grin. “We missed you today,” he added with a wink.

Aila smirked and rolled her eyes slightly. “I’m sure,” she said. “Where are you headed? I thought you lived on the opposite side of town?” she asked, tilting her head slightly.

“Café up the street just opened,” he answered, pointing at the small building up the block. “Um…you wanna join me, or..?”

“Sorry, I can’t. I was just heading out to do some errands, but thank you,” Aila said, maybe a bit too quickly as she subconsciously held her box closer.

The other doctor eyed the box with an odd expression. “What’s that?” he asked.

“A box,” Aila answered dryly, rolling her eyes slightly. “Look, I’ve really gotta go. I’ll see you at work, OK?”

Aila hurried away without giving her friend a chance to respond. She knew she had been a bit rude, but she wanted to find the B&B and get more answers about what exactly was going on.

Aila paused and glanced back over her shoulder when she felt like she was being watched. She didn’t see anyone. She didn't even see Dr. Burns, even though he couldn’t have possibly made it to the café yet. Shaking her head, Aila decided she couldn't be doing just standing around, and continued on down the street.

She flagged down a passing taxi and gave the driver the address of the B&B where Leigh was staying. As the taxi drove by her house and stopped behind another car, Aila caught sight of a person in a huge, green coat in the alley beside her building; bleach blonde hair blowing in the wind from underneath the hood.

Aila wouldn’t have paid the person any mind if it wasn’t for the unmistakable streaks of red along their hands and clothes. The doctor could only stare with wide eyes, looking back in the hopes of catching a glimpse of the blonde's face. The taxi rounded the corner though, blocking Aila's view.

“It’s official,” she muttered to herself. “I’m in a fucking horror movie.”


	3. Chapter 2

Leigh hadn’t left the B&B for the rest of the day after meeting Aila in town. Instead she’d busied herself with tidying the room up, getting rid of more of the loose hair lying on the floor, and mentally preparing to explain to Aila all she needed to know. She couldn’t get this wrong. She couldn’t cause more confusion.

She had all the relevant files neatly arranged on the bed before her, all of them detailing DYAD’s medical reviews, notes from monitors, and personal information on the clones. The one with ‘ _Aila MacPherson’_ scribbled on the front in Leigh’s messy handwriting made Leigh nervous. She wasn’t sure she could prepare herself enough for the doctor’s reaction.

At long last, the time came. Leigh’s mind went numb as she locked her room and made her way to the main reception of the B&B to meet the other clone. Once again, she kept her hood up. She knew the B&B staff and other customers would have no reason to be suspicious. For all they knew, Leigh and Aila were twins...but Leigh was taking no chances.

“Here,” Leigh spoke up when Aila arrived. She took a moment to let Aila prepare, and then sighed. “We’ll talk in my room. Let’s go, quickly.”

Leigh turned on her heel and hurried back up the stairs to her room, checking to make sure Aila was following. Once they were in the room, Leigh closed the door, locked it, and leapt towards the window to peak out of the curtains.

“What are you doing?” Aila asked her.

“Making sure nobody followed you,” Leigh told her.

Aila stared. “Why?”

“I’ll explain in a minute,” Leigh said impatiently. She scanned the street below, but there didn’t seem to be anyone suspicious hanging around as far she could tell.

Satisfied for the time being, Leigh turned and stood up straight, lowering her hood at last. She gestured for Aila to sit down on the only chair in the room, and then crossed over to the bed.

“Aila MacPherson,” Leigh said bluntly as she picked up the doctor’s file. She hesitated, and then handed it to her. “I think you’d better see this.”

Aila took the file and opened it, not sure what she was expecting to find. Leigh watched her in silence as she read over the information. Leigh knew that inside each file were photographs, names, birthdays, all family members, a list of people who had served as monitors, ID tags...the lists went on and on and on. Everything from each clone's favourite foods to all the pets she'd ever owned to…well…everything. An entire lifetime displayed in black and white.

Leigh absently played with a strand of her hair as she waited, watching as the doctor’s face paled a bit and her eyes widened in shock as she took it all in.

“What the...what the hell is all of this?” Aila muttered finally, looking to Leigh for some type of explanation.

Leigh swallowed hard. She worried Aila might be sick if she turned any paler. “There are others,” the hairdresser explained shakily as she picked up the next file. “Katja Obinger; Germany.” She opened the file to briefly show Katja’s photograph, and there was no denying the shock on the doctor’s face deepening at the sight. Leigh continued to open the files so Aila could view the photos of the subjects. “Janika Zingler; Austria…Danielle Fournier, Aryanna Giordano…Elizabeth Childs…”

Now trembling, Leigh picked up another file and opened it up for Aila. “Valarie Melvin; Scotland – _deceased,_ ” Leigh was talking rather hurriedly now in her panicked state. “Death by sniper rifle. Same as this one; Rebecca Balan, Russia, same cause of death  - and there’s a Ukrainian one somewhere here too who suffered the same fate…”

Leigh stepped back from the bed and stood up straight. “We’re not twins; we’re _clones_. There are more I don’t know about, but I didn’t have time to get information on them all. Aila, these women are being hunted down and killed. I don’t know who is killing us and I don’t know why, but the Scottish one was the last to go, and I’m telling you now, I think you’re next on the hit list.”

Aila was silent for several minutes, her hands shaking as she looked over the various faces. All the same faces of different people. All people with her face. _Their_ face.

The doctor tried to speak, but nothing came out. She cleared her throat and tried again. “C-clones? I-I’m a...a human clone?” she whispered, before looking up at Leigh. “And you are too? That’s not…that _can’t_ be real! That’s the stuff of science fiction TV shows, not real life!”

Leigh shook her head. “It’s real,” she said bluntly. “And you’re really in danger. That’s why I came here. Have you seen anyone suspicious around lately?”

“Besides you?” Aila asked, offering a weak smile and an attempt at lightening the situation a bit.

Leigh rolled her eyes but managed a smirk. “Besides me.”

Aila bit her lip. “W-when I was leaving my apartment to come here, I took a taxi, and as we were driving away I thought I saw…someone…someone wearing a green jacket. They had their hood was up. I couldn’t see their face, but…” she paused, again looking down at the files scattered around the pair. “But I’m certain they had blood on their hands. Might just be a coincidence, but…it’s freaking me out now I know someone’s after me…”

Almost automatically, Leigh scurried back to the window and pulled back the curtains once more. A tight, anxious feeling appeared in her chest; something she had never experienced before. Still…everything looked ordinary out there…but Leigh couldn’t stop staring down at the street below, no matter how she tried to calm herself.

“I know it’s sudden Aila, but leaving town is the best chance of survival. You’re not the only one in danger, and I need to warn the others, because DYAD sure as hell aren’t gonna save them.”

“D-DYAD?” Aila managed, confused.

“They created us. I’ll tell you about it properly when I’m sure we’re safe. Are you _sure_ you didn’t bring anyone with you? Nobody followed you?” she managed to ask, her gaze still focused on the view from the window. “Look at your file again – the bit about monitors – who’s listed as your current one on there? When was the last time you saw them?”

Aila looked back down at her file and scanned the lists until her heart skipped a beat and her blood ran cold. “Joshua Burns…I-I just saw him when I left…he tried to start a conversation but I brushed him off…h-he’s been my friend since I joined the hospital staff…he’s…he’s involved in this…” she said quietly, looking shocked and hurt and betrayed all at once. It wasn’t a question. Just a blank, empty statement.

Leigh, still standing at the window, took a deep, steady breath. “All clones have monitors. DYAD…they get their hooks into them in any way they can; I mean I guess some of them were employed legitimately, but I wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of them were blackmailed and forced into it, like mine was…I dunno about this Joshua bloke, but I don’t trust DYAD anymore. I think the monitors are victims too in their own way.”

Leigh tore her gaze from the glass at last and stepped towards Aila. She felt incredible guilt to see such fear on the doctor’s face. “We have to go. Now. _Tonight_. If there’s any chance, _any chance_ at all that the blood-stained person you saw hanging around is connected, we can’t take any chances. If you need more answers, I’ll tell you in time, but right now we can’t waste any. Do you understand?”

Leigh was still shaking; she couldn’t believe the massive risks she had taken and the damage she would cause to her relationship with DYAD because of it. If they only cared about the clones as subjects rather than people, they would never forgive or trust Leigh again.

Aila looked up at her double. “I-I’d need to go home and get my passport and my things...shite, what am I going to do about my job? Just fall off the face of the earth?” she asked, starting to collect the files into a pile again.

The doctor sighed and looked down at the box she’d brought with her. Leigh tilted her head, alternating her gaze between the window and the other clone. “What’s that?”

Aila entered the key-code into the box and opened it, turning it around to show her the contents. “For the past few months I’ve been noticing that sometimes I’ll wake up feeling really out of it, and find marks on my arms that look like track marks. I thought I was just being crazy over nothing, but I woke up one time and found part of a needle on the floor by my bed. I told…Josh…about it, but he said I was just being daft...coming up with crazy conspiracy theories about people being in my house at night. Know anything about that?”

Leigh felt very sick suddenly. Her already pale face turned even whiter.

Of course…Aila was an _unaware clone_. DYAD had to carry out medical examinations on her somehow. They couldn’t do that while she was awake, or she wouldn’t be an unaware clone at all.

Leigh’s prediction of her anger increasing for DYAD came true sooner than she expected. It was one thing to perform these tests on her and Rachel; at least they _knew_ it was happening and were aware of why. But to do it to Aila like _this…_

“Bastards,” Leigh almost whispered. She sat down on the edge of the bed when her legs grew weak. Aila watched silently as Leigh gathered all the files and put them safely back into the folder they came from.

“What is it?” Aila asked her.

Leigh shook her head, unable to respond. It was too much, even for her. “We have to go, now. No more wasting time.” She put the folder in her bag, made sure she had everything she’d need to leave the country, and stood up. “I’m coming with you to get your things; you’re not going alone. Let’s go.”

Aila gathered up the contents of her box and led Leigh out of the B&B. Her mind was reeling and she felt nauseous. It was like she was in a lucid dream, and she hoped she壇 wake up soon.

There was no way she was a human clone. That was just crazy, yet here she was calling a taxi and heading back to her apartment with Leigh to pack her things and flee the city to avoid a killer she wasn’t even sure existed.

The doctor sighed and rubbed her head. “I thought days off work were meant to be relaxing,” she muttered to herself.

Leigh said nothing, and still seemed to be on high alert as they made their way through Glasgow. By now, night had fully fallen, and the city was much emptier than it had been during the day.

The doctor stared down at her box absently. She didn’t like the look on Leigh’s face and knew the other woman was keeping something from her. Maybe she though Aila had had enough for one day. It was a lot to take in for sure. Aila had been trained to deal with bleeding, trauma, and illnesses, but it couldn't prepare her for the fact there were other women out there who looked just like her; who shared her blood, her mind, and her entire physiology.

When the taxi pulled up to her building, Aila paid the driver and got out of the car numbly, making her way through the doors and up the stairs. She led Leigh to her door and opened the lock, though before turning the handle, she froze as a chill shot up her spine. She couldn’t explain it, but something seemed off.

“Do you feel that?” she asked.

“Feel what?” Leigh responded, looking around as they stood. The auburn-haired clone was anxious, shifting from one foot to the other.

Aila shook her head, willing away her growing paranoia. She opened the door and stepped into the apartment, but the feeling of dread only grew. She couldn’t explain it. The whole energy of the apartment felt wrong.

The doctor looked around her place. She gasped when she looked into the kitchen. It looked like it’d been ransacked, with crumbs and bits of everything all over the floor and table.

“What the hell?!” she whispered, her eyes wide at the sight of the mess.

Leigh remained quiet but invited herself to shift closer to get a better look. The tightness in her chest increased. She wanted to ask if anything was missing; if whoever had broken in had stolen anything important, but the words never escaped her.

Instead, the hairdresser took a few steps back while Aila inspected the mess, still muttering to herself in blind panic. Leigh instinctively opened the door to the next room in the hopes of checking to make sure nothing else had been trashed, and helping Aila find her things quickly so they could leave.

Leigh felt around on the wall for a light switch. Confusion hit her when a wet, warm substance greeted her fingertips. She pulled her hand back quickly, almost jumping away from the room. She lifted her hand.

Blood. Leigh was certain it was blood. It ran from her fingers to her wrist and soaked the sleeve of her jacket. Drops were falling to the ground, soaking the doctor’s floor and splashing off of Leigh’s left shoe.

Leigh trembled, turned to face Aila, and simply waited for her to notice. She still couldn’t bring herself to speak.

Aila glanced over at Leigh and blinked, taken aback at the sight of the blood on the English clone's hand. Had she cut herself somehow? That was one sight that was at least familiar...

As she stepped closer to her double, she could see the look of absolute horror on Leigh's face. Aila frowned and took a deep breath before hitting the light switch herself, releasing a small but shrill scream at the sight that greeted them.

Leigh only caught a glimpse of something lying close to the room entrance sprawled out on the ground before Aila screamed a second time and slammed the door shut. The doctor seemed to lose all control; she backed away into the kitchen, still screaming, and then turned to find the nearest exit of the house, desperate to leave.

Alarmed, Leigh hurried forward and blocked Aila’s path. She hadn’t seen what Aila had, but she didn’t need to; it was obvious enough someone had been murdered, and Leigh was sure this was no coincidence. She seized the doctor by the shoulders to keep her steady.

“Listen to me; _listen to me!_ ” Leigh shouted over Aila’s screaming. Her own heart was pounding with fear, but at least one of them had to take control and think rationally. With everything Aila had discovered today, it wasn’t going to be her. “We need to get your passport and _go,_ ” Leigh rushed when Aila finally stopped screaming, although she continued to breathe deeply in a panicked state. “Forget any other belongings; they don’t matter! Where’s your passport?”

“B-b-bedroom,” Aila managed to gasp.

“Show me,” Leigh told her.

Taking a few seconds to compose themselves, the women inched close to the living room door again. Leigh reached out to open it before she lost her nerve.

She caught the full blast of the sight. It was a body of a man lying dead before them. He had bullet wounds in his arms and chest where the killer had taken aim before putting the fatal shot into his skull. The wall behind him was smeared with blood, as well as the ground below him.

Aila tried to calm herself without much luck, taking deep, heaving breaths. She sprinted past the ghoulish scene and into the hallway beyond, making it into her bedroom before allowing herself to breathe again.

“I did _not_ sign up for this,” she muttered out loud as she made a beeline for the closet, shakily grabbing the keys to the fireproof lock-box.

She nearly dropped the key twice before finally opening the box, quickly grabbing her passport and all of her emergency money. The doctor stood to shove the wad of money into her pocket, and knelt down again to close the box.

Something caught Aila's attention. Something small. Something plastic. It sat at the foot of her wardrobe, close to the wall. Frowning, Aila moved a bit closer to examine it. She recognised it as a Barbie doll, though it had been stripped of its outfit, and its hair had been botched and darkly coloured. Aila carefully picked it up before common sense warned her not to...its body was smeared in blood...

The window shattered suddenly, causing Aila to scream in shock. The closet door above her head exploded into a shower of wood as a gaping hole appeared in it.

Aila instinctively covered her head to protect it from the debris and threw herself from the window's line of sight. She stayed low to the ground as she hyperventilated all over again, clinging to the doll tightly without realising it.

Meanwhile, Leigh had been observing the body. She’d never seen anything like it, but the sound of glass exploding in the other room made her jump hard and swear loudly.

“Oh shit a brick!” Leigh gasped. She couldn't help but panic as she rushed to find Aila. She reached the bedroom as another bullet was fired. It broke another window and hit the wall by the door frame, causing Leigh throw herself at the damaged closet for cover.

“Get up!” Leigh shrieked, dragging Aila by the arm. She had no time to see if the Scottish clone was injured; they had to get out while they still could. Aila shakily stood up and allowed Leigh to rush her through the house to try and escape.

“Wh-what the f-” Aila began, but Leigh wasn’t listening. They stopped by the front door, straining their ears for a sign of anyone approaching from outside.

“Any ideas?” Leigh asked fearfully.

Aila swallowed hard. “Leg it to the car and drive?” she suggested.

Leigh sighed, and swore again. It was risky, but it would only be a matter of time until the killer grew tired of shooting through windows and came into the apartment instead. “Go, go, go!” she whispered frantically.

Her desperation to leave forced her to rush out of the house first, leading Aila behind her. They ran past windows and down stairs, not pausing to be cautious as they thought only of escaping the area.

They made it outside, and Leigh was certain she heard gunfire and saw something fly past them, narrowly missing them both. They kept running; they were so close to the car; all they had to do was reach out and open the doors-

Aila ran around to the driver's side and scrambled in as fast as she could, managing to start the engine. When she heard the other door slam shut, she wasted no time and  sped off, the old car protesting at the sudden harsh movement. The back window exploded into a spray of glass, but they were already too far away for a second shot to reach them.

Aila was thankful for the lessened activity on the road as she recklessly put distance between the car and whoever was trying to kill herself and Leigh. After some time, she slowed her pace to a more legal speed. She breathed heavily, and her hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly that her knuckles turned white, though she couldn't say a single word as she drove off into the night.

\--

The women sat in the car in silence.

They had been driving for what felt like hours. Neither of them uttered a word while Aila took them away from her home. Pulling off to the side of the road, the doctor parked in a deserted ally surrounded by dark buildings. There was no sign of life anywhere around. Leigh wasn’t sure Aila even knew where they were.

At long last, after many difficult minutes, Aila opened her mouth to speak. “It’s a bad dream,” she whispered to herself. “It’s _gotta_ be a bad dream.”

Leigh wanted it to be a bad dream too. What had she gotten herself into? As she turned to face the doctor, Leigh wondered if their meeting could have gone any worse. “I’m sorry,” she breathed, her voice hoarse and quiet. She took a minute to examine their surroundings. How on earth were they going to get to the airport?

Aila leaned back in her seat, rubbing her eyes as her adrenalin levels slowly returned to normal. She mentally recited the step by step process by which adrenalin affected the body to give herself something to focus on other than what had just happened.

Sighing shakily, the doctor closed her eyes, feeling a headache coming on. The whole situation felt surreal, as if her mind and body were detached from the world around her. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she wondered if this was what it felt like to be in shock.

Aila looked over at Leigh and took in her double’s bloodied appearance; the red liquid probably gained from getting a closer look at the body. “That won’t do for getting through security…” Aila mumbled absently, not even caring that the other woman was smothering the car seat in blood.

“Shit,” Leigh gasped, frowning in anger. She had completely forgotten about the blood, and the rest of her clothes were back at the B&B. There was no way she was willing to risk going back there for them. “Shit,” she said again, louder this time. She had no idea what she was supposed to do.

And then Leigh saw the battered Barbie doll lying next to her lap on the seat. Aila had absently shoved it there upon jumping into the car, and it had gone unnoticed by Leigh, who, until that point, had been staring urgently out the car windows instead.

Leigh let out a shrill gasp, and then a shriek. She flinched back suddenly, causing Aila to curiously looked around from the driver's seat. The doctor frowned, alarmed, while Leigh shakily grabbed the doll in one hand, flung open the car door, and threw it as far away from the car as she could.

“ _FUCK!_ ” the hairdresser screeched. She took one or two steadying breaths before looking up at Aila. “Sorry,” she gasped.

“You're fine,” Aila assured her, though she seemed perplexed and concerned. Then again, she couldn't blame Leigh after what had just happened...

Leigh clicked the seatbelt to release it, trembling a bit. She wasn’t sure why; she had no intention of getting out, but the belt was making her feel trapped, and she needed air to clear her head. “I’ll have to dump my jacket,” she said after a bit. “I can’t lose the jeans though. Not unless you happen to have spare clothes in the car.”

She managed a short, desperate laugh, but then became serious again. If the blood really was so noticeable, the only other thing she could do was wait until morning and send Aila to the nearest store to buy something quickly. There was no way Leigh herself was going shopping while covered in the blood of the dead man lying in Aila’s home.

Aila sighed and ran a hand through her hair. “Sadly not. I don’t think anywhere’s open this early,” she said, eyeing the car clock that confirmed that it was one in the morning. “Shite…” She took off her own seatbelt as she opened the window, breathing in the cool night air.

So now they were stuck in a shot up, bloody car in the middle of the night with a killer on the loose, and a dead body back at her house. Aila's face paled slightly as a thought crossed her mind, but she kept it to herself for now and instead tried to keep a level head.

“Right, so we need to find some clothes, find a place to hide the car, and somehow make it to the airport. Lovely,” she sighed. She checked how much money she had grabbed from her private savings. Somehow the doctor had settled into a state of numbness, operating solely on logic rather than emotion as everything that had happened slowly processed piece by piece.

“I…” Leigh began, taking deep breaths as she spoke. “I think we should dump the car first, but where’re we gonna leave it? Holy shit…” She rubbed her eyes and pulled herself together before continuing. “Who’s the dead guy anyway? And people are bound to have heard the gunshots; there’s probably going to be witnesses who saw or heard us running through the place and drive off in the car. If we’re gonna dump it, we need to do it as soon as possible, or the police are gonna find us…” Leigh turned to face Aila properly, looking like a scared child. “I don’t know where we go from here. I didn’t expect everything to go to shit like this. I didn’t know the killer was gonna come after you this very night! I thought we'd have more time to talk and plan!”

Aila shrugged and turned to face Leigh, taking in the look of desperation and despair on her face. The doctor offered a weak smile. “It’s done now. Nothing to do but move on. Besides, think of it this way. If you didn't turn up as you did, that probably would have been _me_ lying dead back there,” she sighed. Speaking the words out loud made the situation feel dangerously real. “As for the body…I…I _think_ that was Josh…” she murmured softy, biting her lip as she tried to suppress tears. Now wasn’t the time or place to mourn for the loss of her friend, even if he did know about everything.

The doctor sighed and turned the car on again, slowly pulling out of the alleyway. She turned onto a side-street and made her way along the back roads of the city. She wasn’t sure exactly where she was heading, but she knew she had a few hours to find somewhere to put the car before the shops opened.

\--

Surprisingly, Leigh managed to sleep that night. She hadn’t meant to, or thought it was possible, but at some point while Aila was driving to find a suitable hiding place for the car, exhaustion must have taken its toll. Leigh awoke the next morning, head pounding, greeted by weak sunlight shining through the shattered car windows.

Leigh groaned and shifted in the car seat. Her throat was terribly dry, and she felt filthy from the dry blood stained to her skin and clothes.

A clanging noise caught her attention and forced her to become alert. She almost panicked when she couldn’t see Aila around. After sitting up straight and almost hitting her head on the roof of the car, Leigh looked at the rear-view mirror and exhaled slowly in relief.

Aila was standing at the rear of the car with the boot open. She appeared to be tossing things out and rearranging the contents, apparently looking for something. When Leigh forced open the door and tumbled out, she took in their new surroundings.

“What you doin’?” Leigh asked groggily as she walked over to the other clone. She turned on the spot, looking around at the cluster of thick trees, bushes, and the isolated bridge close by.

Aila glanced up from the boot. “Morning. I was gonna wake ya in a bit,” she said as she pulled a tool out of the boot. She nodded in satisfaction and knelt down on the ground, starting to remove the deadbolts holding her licence plate in place. Working quickly, she managed to get the plate off before handing it to Leigh. She went around to the front of the car then to remove the front plate.

The doctor looked like she hadn’t slept much, though she seemed to be in better spirits than she was the day before. She'd taken the night to think in silence, cry, and gain a sense of determination. Aila was still shaken and upset over yesterday’s events, and the situation she now found herself in, but  there was no use wasting energy fighting it. The best thing to do was to stay positive and work on one thing at a time.

Leigh stared at the plate Aila had forced into her hands. “Where’re we gonna dump these then? If the cops find the car, they’re bound to find the plates eventually. Unless we burn them or some shit. Along with my bloody clothes.”

“I’m not sure,” Aila told her after yanking off the front plate. “We’ll think of something. Maybe toss them in a dumpster closer to the airport. I just know we need to get away from the car before we do anything else.”

“Well do you know the way to the nearest airport from here? Because I sure as hell don’t,” Leigh said as she ran her hand through her hair. She pulled it away quickly. The short hair still felt odd to her, and it was going to take some getting used to. It was crazy how much had changed in just two days.

Aila stood up and rushed to the boot to put the tools back in. Leigh watched her gather her passport and money, as well as pulling out a carrier bag, which she held out for Leigh. “Put the plates in here for now, and your jacket. We’ll get rid of them later.”

Leigh silently obeyed before collecting her own belongings from the car. She checked her new phone, passport, money and DYAD’s files were still place, and nodded to signal she was ready to go.

The women walked away from the car at a rather fast pace with Aila leading the way. Leigh assumed the doctor knew where they were heading and followed without protest.

Aila had a rough idea of where they were, and guided Leigh along the side of the road in silence. She looked at the clock on her phone and nodded. “The shops should be opening soon,” she informed Leigh while looking around.

After nearly an hour of walking, the clones spotted more crowded areas and people opening various shops for the day.

“OK,” Leigh said, crouching down behind a bush and peering over it to eye the shops. “You’re gonna have to go in for me.” Aila turned her head sharply to give Leigh an unimpressed stare. Leigh glanced up at her. “Well I can’t go in like _this_ , can I?”

“I know. I just was wondering what the hell you’re doing hiding behind the bush like some wannabe ninja.”

Leigh bit down hard and inhaled deeply. “I’m trying not to be _seen,_ ” she said in a controlled voice worthy of Rachel.

“Well, you’re making yourself look even _more_ suspicious,” Aila told her bluntly.

“Look, just do as I ask so we can get out of here, please?” Leigh begged her. She opened her bag and fumbled around for her purse to give Aila some money. “Just…just get something similar to what I was already wearing. Hoody, jeans…nothing pink. Just something practical, OK? I don’t need shoes; I can clean these…”

Aila took the money reluctantly.

“Oh! Give me your phone too,” Leigh added just as Aila turned on her heel.

“Why?” Aila asked, but she took it out and let Leigh have it anyway. The hairdresser threw it violently to the ground and stomped on it with her foot. The screen shattered instantly.

Aila raised an eyebrow, but just sighed and shook her head, walking into the nearest clothes shop while muttering under her breath. Once inside, the doctor smirked and had an idea she was sure would be funny...at least to her.

Leigh sat waiting outside for fifteen minutes, which felt more like fifteen hours. She hated waiting around when that psycho killer was going to be looking for them. At least she hoped whoever it was wouldn’t want to attack in broad daylight in a crowded street.

When the doctor came back out of the store, she threw a bag which Leigh barely caught. “Alright,” Aila spoke, “go duck in somewhere to change, and let’s go.”

Leigh stood up and opened the bag to peek at what was inside. Her heart almost stopped at the sight of pink fabric, and she froze for a second before rummaging around to see what Aila had purchased.

Horrified, Leigh pulled out a pink hooded jumper, complete with even pinker heart patterns on the sleeves. She held it at arm’s length and stared at it in open mouthed shock.

“Are you taking the piss?!” she asked loudly and angrily enough for by passers to hear from the other side of the street. “I said no pink! NO PINK! I can’t wear this! And…” She pulled out a scarf this time. It too was pink, but was decorated with bits of glitter. It looked like it was made for a six year old. Leigh shook her head quickly, furiously, and repeatedly. “No. No, this is ALL wrong. Why would you DO THIS? I can’t wear this shit! It’s PINK! I have RED HAIR, it WON’T GO! It’ll CLASH, Aila! What the FUCK-”

Leigh continued to rant and rave, demanding to know why Aila had done this. Aila just grinned as she watched the display, before breaking down in a fit of laughter. After the horrific events that unfolded yesterday, it was nice to be able to laugh again, even if it was at Leigh’s expense.

“Well…at least you won’t look like a nomad anymore?” she offered before bursting out in another laughing fit, ducking back to avoid being smacked.

Leigh’s eyes grew so wide as she stared at Aila, she feared they might pop out of her head. “You-you think this is FUNNY?” Leigh stuttered, dropping the bag of clothes on the floor. “What the hell is _wrong_ with you!? I come all this way to save your arse, and you do THIS to me? This is the thanks I get for _warning_ you!?”

Leigh balled her hands into fists and approached Aila before unclenching them again to seize the doctor’s jacket.

“Get it off,” Leigh demanded.

“What the-”

“YOU can wear the pink stuff! Come on, we can swap! And you can pay me back for this bullshit as well!”

Aila just smirked, though her laughter was dying off as she calmly put her hands over Leigh’s. “Alright alright, easy,” she giggled. “This stuff was mine anyways. Yours is there,” she said, pointing to another bag that had been placed just outside the doorway of the shop.

Leigh turned her attention to the doorway of the shop. She could see the bag sitting there, and it took all her energy not to scream at the doctor for just abandoning it. She still wasn’t over Rachel conning her out of sixty pounds; she didn’t need more clones losing her money. Especially not by wasting it on horrendous pink outfits, or leaving her newly brought possessions unattended where anyone could walk by and take them.

Leigh let go of Aila and ran quickly and awkwardly to the shop, snatched up the bag, and hurried back. Aila raised an eyebrow and her smirk grew bigger. “You don’t know how to NOT look suspicious, do you? You look like a thief-”

“Shut UP!” Leigh bellowed as she stormed past the doctor and into a suitable hiding place to change. These new clothes were better; granted Leigh wouldn’t choose them herself, but they were practical, and they weren’t pink. She stuffed her bloody ones into the carrier bag when she was changed, gathered her belongings, and glared at Aila as she marched out onto the street.

“Throw your broken phone away,” she shot irritably. “We don’t want anyone to find it. You can get a new one when we’re at the airport or something. Do airports have phone shops?”

Aila watched Leigh, still smiling. The girl was really high strung, and Aila couldn’t blame her really. In this situation, however, they needed to have some humour, however small, if they were planning on staying sane. It wasn’t healthy to be stressed out and serious all the time.

“I would imagine as such,” Aila said, though it’d been a long time since she’d been in an airport. The doctor found an old dumpster to toss her phone and old licence plates into as she changed into her own clothes.

Aila then noticed Leigh staring at her, still looking annoyed, and raised an eyebrow. “What?”

“How can you be acting happy at a time like this?” the auburn-haired clone muttered.

Aila sighed, finally letting her smile fade off as she looked more serious. She met Leigh’s gaze. “Because if I don’t…I will lose it,” Aila told her.

Once again, Leigh was strongly reminded of Rachel. The ability to keep calm under pressure. The ability to stay controlled out of fear of going mad with rage or breaking down in tears. Rachel was a ticking time bomb, and Leigh knew the blonde despised DYAD however much she tried to cover it up. Controlling her emotions was only going to get her so far before that control failed her. What if it was the same for Aila too? Or what if Leigh really _was_ just jealous of such an ability, but refused to admit it?

“Can’t be healthy keeping things bottled up all the time though,” Leigh muttered, shrugging. “I tried it once. A few times, actually, because…because this ‘friend’ I had thought she was better than me in every way, including keeping her cool. But I found I couldn’t do it. How do you _fake_ happiness? Wouldn’t that drive you mad, pretending and trying so hard to feel something you just _don’t?_ I mean, I’m not always a stress-head, but I don’t hide it when I _am_ stressed. Isn’t it better to get it all out and let people help you?”

“Depends on the situation, I think. Like now for example; sure I could break down and cry and be afraid, but would that help us? I did all that last night while you were asleep, because that was the time to. The best thing to do for now is keep a clear head and believe things will work out, and for me at least, keeping a sense of humour helps to do just that even in this horrific situation,” Aila explained. She was unsure if she was making much sense. “I don’t think I’m better than you, nor am I faking happiness really. I’m just trying to make the best of a bad situation is all.”

Leigh simply watched her. When a feeling of guilt began rising up inside her, the hairdresser forced herself to look away, and aimlessly walked. “We should get going,” she said quietly, but still loud enough for Aila to hear her. “It’s not safe to hang around, right?”

Aila was not Rachel. Leigh had to remember that.


	4. Chapter 3

Aila waved down a taxi, and soon the two clones were on their way to Glasgow International Airport. The doctor remained silent during the car ride, not wanting to offend Leigh more than she had. The prank was meant to be harmless, but the more she thought about it, the more she felt as though she probably shouldn’t have done it. Leigh seemed genuinely angry, and Aila _did_ owe her her life, after all.

With a quiet sigh, the doctor stared out of the window and reflected on everything that had happened, and wondered about everything that was yet to happen. Would they really be able to warn the others? Did they even have enough money and resources to get to other countries and still support themselves?

Aila supposed whatever was going to happen, she had to go along with it. She had no home anymore, and she couldn’t stick around to have another match against the killer.

When the taxi pulled up in front of the gates of the busy airport, she paid the driver and got out of the car, still keeping to herself as she waited for Leigh to do the same before the pair walked into the terminal. Aila didn’t even know where they were going, but she knew they’d need to decide soon, and hope there were still some last minute openings for flights.

Dazed from exhaustion, Leigh followed Aila. She looked around nervously when they entered the airport, quickly glancing at her shoes to make sure she’d cleaned off every last drop of blood. Then she stopped, causing Aila to stop too. The doctor spun around and watched her.

“Erm,” Leigh began, rubbing the skin between her eyebrows as if to cease her oncoming headache. “I dunno where we’re going. We never decided. God, I’m so shit at this,” she mumbled the last bit under her breath so Aila wouldn’t hear.

“Which countries are the others in again?” Aila asked.

Leigh looked up and strained to remember. “Germany, France…uh…there’s one in Austria…and Italy. Oh, and Canada, but I figure she'll be last.”

“You have no idea where the person who's after us will be heading next?” Aila asked.

Leigh shrugged and shook her head. “No. Your guess is as good as mine. If we’re lucky, they’ll stay here for a bit trying to find you while we’re buggering off to God knows where...OK, just pick a random country. I don’t suppose it matters where we go first. We can only guess.”

Aila nodded. “Let’s go with Germany then. That’s as good of a start as any. What city does she live in?” she asked, ducking into a sheltered area with tables so they could look over their paperwork in private.

Leigh followed her double and looked over her shoulder anxiously, worried about people watching them. Then again, she worried she was making herself look suspicious yet again. She bit her gum and focused. “Here,” she said in a hushed voice as she pulled out Katja Obinger’s file. “Würzburg, Germany. Her phone number’s here too, so we should be able to call her, like I did you. Which reminds me, you still need to get a new phone.”

“Right,” Aila nodded.

“See if you can get one similar to this,” Leigh advised her as she showed the one she’d recently purchased. “It’s cheap, but it does the job. We ought to be careful about how we use money.”

Aila nodded. “Yeah, good idea. I’ve got about a grand on me in cash from the savings box in my room.” She stood up to find a phone store. “We can ask if there’s one air side where most of the other shops are. Where would be the nearest airport to Würzburg?”

“Pfft, you’re asking me?” Leigh huffed, shrugging. “I’ll Google it in a minute.”

The women took a few minutes to organize themselves, and Leigh found the information they were after on her phone. She turned back to Aila. “Nuremberg and Frankfurt, apparently,” she informed the doctor.

“Sod it, we’ll go with Frankfurt. Sometimes you have to make a choice and just go with it,” Aila said tiredly. “Let’s get tickets.”

Leigh quickly put back Katja’s file and followed Aila, trying to keep up with her. She watched her from behind, deciding to let her lead.

Aila asked the airport staff about flights to Frankfurt, and soon enough they had found a one way trip there that would be departing in four hours. They were lucky, because that flight had been full until a large party had needed to cancel last minute.

“At least one thing’s going right, eh?” Aila commented as they went through the security line.

The pair received funny looks for looking like twins from different countries with different accents, and also for the fact they just had the one carry-on between them. The officials couldn’t find much of a reason to stop them though, and soon enough, they hit air side.

It was a long walk to their gate, but Aila was feeling fairly optimistic about this. She hoped the German clone would be willing to meet with them, and chuckled to herself when she understood the apprehension Leigh must have felt when coming to find her. Was that really just twenty-four hours ago?

Looking around, the Scottish clone noticed a small café, and she paused. “The last time I ate was just before meeting you at the B&B yesterday. We should probably get something to eat before flying.”

“Yes,” Leigh said a little too quickly and eagerly. “I can’t remember the last time I had a good cuppa, and I’m bursting for a wee as well. Let’s go.”

Leigh scurried away, making a beeline for the café, leaving Aila staring after her for a moment.

\--

The sip of fresh tea felt like the best thing in the world to Leigh as she and Aila sat opposite each other at a small table in the corner. They were both still waiting for their food to arrive, and despite the urgency at the situation they were in, Leigh couldn’t help feeling rather relaxed. Perhaps she was too tired to acknowledge the stress.

Leigh quietly observed Aila for a while. She watched her take sips of her drink, and she couldn’t help noticing Aila avoiding eye contact. She also spoke very little. It made Leigh uneasy after a bit, for reasons she wasn’t sure of.

“Aila?” she spoke up suddenly, in an almost child-like way. Aila raised her head to fix her gaze on the hairdresser. Leigh sighed, hesitated, and then added, “I’m sorry I got so mad before.”

Aila smiled and waved her off. “It's fine. I always pick bad times for pranks,” she explained before sipping at her drink again. “Really, I think _I_ should be apologizing. I just didn’t want to annoy ya more.”

“No, I overreacted,” Leigh insisted. “Always been a bit of a problem. I know you were just trying to make light of the situation.” She paused to drink more tea, slightly burning her mouth in the process. Leigh quickly pulled the cup away from the face and set it delicately on the table, staring at it. “So…” she spoke again after a short while. She didn’t particularly enjoy silence for long periods. “You’re a doctor, eh? Pretty impressive.”

Aila smiled, inwardly relieved to be back on stable ground with her new friend. She continued drinking her coffee, and looked up again at Leigh's question. “Aye, I have been interested in medicine since I was a teenager. Used to hole up in the attic reading textbooks I’d gotten hold of,” she said with a grin. “What do you do for a living?” she inquired, realising she really knew absolutely nothing about this woman.

“Must take some dedication to learn all that,” Leigh told her, impressed. She grinned a bit. “I do hair,” she chuckled as she spoke, realising how pathetic it sounded compared to Aila’s career. “Eh…I was never any good at or interested in much else. Did a hair and beauty course at college, started working part time at a local salon…then I was on my way to being salon manager. I had this hope maybe I could open my own one day, but I dunno if that’ll happen now.” Leigh fell quiet and absently played with the teaspoon lying on the napkin before her.

Aila smiled. “Course it will. Anything’s possible if ya keep moving forward. When we got this whole mess cleaned up, I’m sure we can get back to our lives and carry on with whatever plans there are.”

Just then, their food came, and Aila’s stomach growled loudly. The doctor chuckled at the sound as she looked at her salad, then at Leigh. “Guess I’m hungrier than I thought.” She poured a bit of dressing on her lunch before eating.

Leigh couldn’t fight a smile. Aila had more optimism than she did, and _she’d_ been thrown in at the deep end. “I think I could learn a thing or two from you,” Leigh told the doctor sincerely. She eyed the salad Aila had chosen, and then stared down at her own plate; a large ham burger and a generous portion of chips. “But not your meal choices. Or you sense of style. Are you _really_ gonna keep that horrible pink hoody?” Leigh’s grin grew even bigger as she said this.

Aila grinned brightly. “Oi, don’t diss. I like this hoody,” she said with a laugh, flicking a piece of lettuce at Leigh’s face. “Besides, the initial look on your face WAS quite priceless,” she added with a cheeky smirk. She glanced down at her watch, checking the time, before looking around what they could see of the airport. “While you were having your wee, I asked the waitress where a phone store was. Apparently there’s one over that way somewhere,” she said, pointing to an area of shops down the pathway a bit.

Leigh flicked the lettuce off the table, sending it shooting to the floor. Another customer on the table next to them eyed the clones in disgust at their bad table manners. Leigh fixed her eyes on him. “What?” she demanded.

The customer scrunched his nose up, looked as if he wanted to say something, but then shook his head and went back to reading his paper. Leigh’s eyes narrowed and she turned her attention back to Aila.

“OK, good. Let’s finish eating and get the phone sorted.”

\--

It was a short walk over to the cluster of small stores, and it only took a moment to find the phone store. The two walked in and looked around. Aila looked over their limited selection of low-tech phones before picking one out that was the same model as Leigh’s.

As they went to check out, the doctor stopped as something caught her attention, and she wandered over to an incredibly tiny selection of phone cases. She couldn't help grinning at the fact  the only one there for her model of phone was bright pink.

She picked it up. “I’ll have this too.”

It took a second or two for Leigh to realise what Aila was doing. She did a double take and then stared rigidly. “Again with the pink?” she asked exasperatedly. She hoped Aila was joking, but the doctor hurried off to pay for her purchases, leaving Leigh waiting in the middle of the store.

Aila smiled as she made her way back to Leigh, who was holding her breath and keeping her mouth closed tightly. “You OK?” Aila asked.

Leigh nodded a little too quickly. “Mhm, I’m good.”

“Good,” Aila told her, and she pulled out a pink cover from her new carrier bag. “Because they were on sale, so I got you one as well.”

Leigh took it from Aila without a word and resisted the urge to shake her head in disbelief. “Fine,” she said shortly. She did not want to upset Aila again, so she held her tongue, waited until Aila was out of earshot, and muttered, “Fuck’s sake, why me?”

Leigh took an unusually long time to remove the case from the packaging, and pretended it wouldn’t fit her phone for the next hour.

\--

“ _Leigh...LEIGH!_ ”

The British clone only squeezed her eyes shut tighter at the sound of her name being called. Not that she really considered ‘Leigh’ her name…

“Shut up,” she murmured, constantly drifting between reality and the dream world she’d found herself in for the last hour or so.

Then she felt something touch her shoulder, shaking her lightly. Someone was trying to wake her. Leigh half opened an eye. She was met by the blurry sight of a familiar face; a face that, while she was still mostly asleep and confused, annoyed her to no end.

“Sod off Rachel,” she groaned. She shoved the hand away from her, but then, as if everything came crashing back to her in an instant, Leigh sat up straight, fully awake.

She’d fallen asleep on the plane. Aila had too; Leigh had waited for the other clone to drift off before giving in to sleep as well. Now Aila was watching her curiously.

“I think we’ll be landing soon,” she informed Leigh quietly. “Thought I ought to wake you.” Aila looked like she wanted to ask something, but thought better of it and simply stretched as best as one could in a tiny and cramped airplane seat. She smiled and looked out the window as she settled back into her seat, watching as the ground slowly came into view. “I love flying,” the doctor commented as they slowly descended back down to earth. “And the nap was heavenly. Normally I don’t like sleeping in public, but I was so exhausted that it didn’t matter.”

“Yeah, if you gotta sleep, you gotta sleep,” Leigh agreed.

They remained rather quiet until the plane landed. Leigh still felt rather sleepy, and it wouldn’t have surprised her if Aila was feeling the same.

“What do you reckon?” Leigh asked later on with a yawn. They walked slowly through the airport as they prepared to leave. “Find a place to stay first? Or call this Katja woman and then decide where we’re heading?”

“I think we have some time to spare. We should get a proper rest before meeting up with Katja. I don’t think we’ll make a good impression looking like zombies,” Aila chuckled, stepping out onto the street after clearing security and customs. The doctor looked around at the signs. “I don’t suppose you actually know how to speak and read German?”

Leigh stopped in her tracks. She frowned deeply. “Shit.”

Oh, she could just picture Rachel’s stupid, smug face. Leigh remembered Rachel taking extra language lessons in their youth, particularly focusing on German. Leigh thought Rachel had more or less been forced into it, because Rachel spent weeks trying to get Leigh to do it with her, and Leigh refused. She found languages boring at school. She wasn’t going to sign up for extra tuition, however much her double nagged her.

“I know the basics from what I studied in school years ago,” Leigh offered feebly, shrugging. “Don’t remember much though.” She sighed and pulled out her phone to check for hotels close by, muttering incoherently, including words such ‘stupid’, ‘robot’, and ‘windows’ as she did.

Aila watched her curiously before taking out her own phone, setting it to various preferences as she waited. “After we rest up, we should look into getting a train to Würzburg,” she said to Leigh. “Then we can call Katja when we’re there. Sound like a good plan?”

Leigh grunted something that sounded vaguely like an agreement as she continued looking for cheap hotels nearby. She finally decided on one close to the airport, but reasonable in price.

The clones walked to the hotel in silence, taking in the sights as they did. The buildings in Frankfurt were huge, and seemed to go on forever. Aila was thankful for the hoody as she shivered a bit from the cool air coming off of the large river running through the city.

When they reached the hotel, Aila looked a bit apprehensive. She glanced at Leigh, trying to look casual. “Should we get one room with two beds, or two rooms?”

Leigh shrugged. “Dunno, not fussed. One room will probably be cheaper, but whatever. Doesn’t really matter.”

Leigh was more concerned about there being any rooms available at all. Perhaps they should have called first to make sure…

She was starting to feel anxious again now. She’d have to make the call to Katja soon. Meeting Aila had been difficult enough, especially making contact with her for the first time. What if Katja wasn’t quite so accepting of all of this? What if everything was about to get harder?

“Shit,” she whispered to herself. She quickened her pace. The sooner this was over with, the better.

“Let’s see if they have two rooms near each other,” the doctor suggested, walking up to the counter to ask. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Leigh pacing around, mumbling something under her breath.

After a few minutes of struggling with accents and English, the receptionist figured out what Aila was asking and nodded to her request. Aila managed to get two single-bed rooms a few doors down the hall from each other.

Aila smiled and paid for the rooms while Leigh wandered around, staring at her phone. The doctor rolled her eyes at the display. She really needed to teach this girl how to relax a bit. “Oi, pick a card,” she said, getting Leigh's attention before holding up the two key-cards.

Leigh stopped to snatch the first card she saw from Aila, and then turned her attention back to her phone. She began aimlessly walking to try and find the room, eyes fixed to the screen. “You’re going the wrong way,” Aila informed her as she looked back over her shoulder.

“Fuck’s sake,” Leigh muttered. She turned on her heel and caught up to Aila, and they proceeded to find their rooms.

\--

Later on, the women sat side by side in one of the rooms. Katja's file lay on the desk before them, as well as Leigh's phone. She had already entered Katja's number, and was preparing to dial.

“Just do it,” Aila urged her.

“OK,” Leigh sighed, lightly picking up the phone. “OK.” She pressed dial. She brought the phone up to her ear, and felt sick when it began ringing.

No answer came for a few moments. Leigh was sure Katja wasn’t going to answer, and then-

“Ja? Katja Obinger. Wer ist das?”

“Shit,” Leigh whispered frantically. She pulled the phone away from her ear, ready to hang up, but Aila grabbed her wrist to stop her. “Oh no you don’t; just talk to her,” she ordered.

“What do I say?!” Leigh panicked.

“Hallo?” the voice on the other end spoke.

“Just a second!” Aila called down the line to let Katja know someone was there. “Oh crap, can she even speak English?”

“Put it on loud-speaker!” Leigh squeaked. Aila pressed the button so both of them could hear Katja.

“Katja?” Leigh asked loudly.

“Ja. Who ez zis?”

Aila cleared her throat and let go of Leigh’s wrist, giving her a stern look that said not to touch the phone no matter what. The doctor faltered before shrugging. “My name is Aila. I’m a doctor from Scotland. First off, can you speak English?”

“Ja,” Katja confirmed, which instantly made Aila sigh in relief. At least they wouldn’t have a language barrier to get over.

“Right, that makes life easier. This might seem sudden, but my friend and I have reason to believe you’re in danger. Would you be willing to meet us some place public tomorrow to discuss this?” the doctor continued.

Leigh held her breath in anticipation. Katja did not respond, but she didn’t hang up either.

“Why isn’t she saying anything?!” Leigh asked in a rushed whisper.

Aila held her hand up for silence. “Katja?” she asked.

More silence. A sharp intake of breath from Katja’s end. And then-

“Just one. I’m a few. No family too. Voo am I?”

A long pause followed.

“I’m sorry; _what?_ ” Leigh demanded, her voice high and shrill.

“Hold on. I vill call you back,” Katja spoke firmly and coolly.

The German clone hung up before Aila or Leigh could respond.

Aila stared at the phone for a minute, before glancing at Leigh. “Well that was…random. Was that some kind of riddle?”

Leigh shrugged, shaking her head. “I have no idea. _‘Just one. I’m a few. No family too. Who am I?’_? What the hell does that even mean?”

Aila shrugged and sighed. “I guess now we just…wait?”

“For fuck’s sake…”

\--

The sound of fingers tapping against a keyboard echoed slightly through a brightly lit room. Windows and lines of code appeared and vanished off of four different screens, all of them set up on an old wooden table.

“And...done,” the person at the table said, hitting a key before leaning back in her chair. She watched as a green loading bar appeared, before several official-looking documents flashed up on the central screen. They were all branded with the official DYAD logo.

Just before the woman could read them, something in the corner of the screen flashed. The woman hit another key, opening up a window of a video call.

“Mmmhmm, go on Katja. Did you find out anything?” she asked without looking at the other woman on the screen, instead reading over the documents.

“Did you speak to any of the others yet, Rat?” Katja asked, straight to the point.

“Uh, no,” Rat told her just as bluntly.

“Ez zere a Scottish one? A doctor?”

“Why?”

“She has just called me. I zink she _knows_ , but she and zee ozer von vith her did not recognise zee code.”

“Did you get her name?” Rat asked, opening a new window on her screen.

“Ja, Aila,” Katja said with a nod.

Rat typed the name into a search bar to scan through lists of names, and nodded after a minute when she found what she was looking for. “Aila MacPherson; A&E doctor from Erskine, Scotland. Last seen in Glasgow, Scotland. Currently under suspicion of murder,” she rattled off the information on the screen. “They last traced her purchasing a plane ticket from Glasgow to Frankfurt, along with another clone, Ashleigh Callingham; reported missing from London this morning. What do they want with you?”

“Zey are calling to tell me I am in danger,” Katja responded instantly. She did not appear fazed in the slightest. “Zey vish to meet me. Vat do you suggest?”

Rat leaned back in her chair, running a hand through her short hair. “I’d advise against it. We don’t know how extensively they’re being tracked. Hell, for all we know, they could be leading DYAD right to you, knowingly or not. Ashleigh seems to have been quite involved with _them_ from childhood,” she said, wrinkling her nose in unabashed disgust as she looked at the two files on her screen. “I don’t trust her.”

“You don’t trust anybody,” Katja pointed out bluntly.

“With good reason,” Rat said matter-of-factly, scanning through Leigh’s file in detail.

“I said I vould call zem back, if you vant to make a secure channel and speak to zem too,” Katja offered, holding her phone.

Rat raised an eyebrow. “Are you _joking_? Even with a secure connection, they might have others physically listening in.”

“In zat case, I shall speak vith zem alone.”

“You’re not going to _meet_ them, are you?”

“I vill take zee risk. Nothing vill lead back to you,” Katja assured her, and she ended the call abruptly.

When the screen went blank, Rat rolled her eyes. “Bloody reckless as usual. Fine, but if you get carted off to God knows where, I’m not busting your ass back out,” she muttered out loud before going back to the documents she'd been reading before the call.

The German turned her attention back to her phone. She picked it up, held it to her ear, and brushed back her short hair. “Hallo. Am I speaking to Aila MacPherson and Ashleigh Callingham?”

\--

Aila jumped when the phone went off, and she quickly hit the button, though Katja spoke before she could, and the doctor froze with wide eyes. “Y-Yeah, but how did you know our full names?” she inquired. How much did this clone know already? “Ashleigh?” the doctor whispered to Leigh, having not known her full name before that moment.

Leigh’s throat tightened. She froze. She couldn’t respond.

Aila hurried to put the phone back on loud-speaker so they could both listen. Katja did not answer the doctor’s question, but she continued to speak. “I vill meet you both in person in von hour. I vill be opposite Capitol Zeater Offenbanch. Be zere.”

Katja hung up. Aila’s eyes widened significantly, and she slowly allowed her head to turn to face Leigh.

“So much for sleeping tonight. We have an hour to haul ass to somewhere that I’m _guessing_ is in Würzburg,” she said, sighing as she went to move off of the bed. The doctor blinked, seeing that Leigh hadn’t moved. “Hey, c’mon. We need to figure out where this place is and how to get there,” she said, gently tapping at the other clone’s shoulder.

“How the eff does she know our names…” Leigh whispered in panic.

Aila sighed, but said nothing. She took out her own phone to find the location Katja had given them. After a few minutes, Leigh began to help, ignoring her new found fear as best she could.


	5. Chapter 4

Aila’s thoughts raced as she and Leigh made their way to Capitol Theater Offenbanch, which apparently was in Frankfurt rather than Würzburg. It meant the German clone didn’t only know their names, but also which town they were calling from.

Leigh seemed even tenser than usual; not that Aila could blame her. The two got out of the cab in front of the brightly lit theater and looked around for someone whose face matched theirs.

“She said she’d be opposite the theater, so we have to cross the street somewhere,” Aila murmured.

“Vee talk now.”

Aila yelped and spun around, her eyes wide as she came face to face with what she assumed was her own face, covered slightly by very large, black glasses. This clone’s hair was short and bright orange. She wore a large amount of white fur, and her expression was stoic and unreadable. In Aila’s mind, she almost looked like a stereotypical pimp. Aila prayed to God that that wasn’t the case.

“K-Katja?”

“Holy fuck a duck!” Leigh shrieked, scared out of her wits at Katja appearing out of nowhere.

Katja removed her glasses to observe the two closer. Leigh’s heart raced. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself, but Katja’s blank, unfazed stare only bothered her more. Was every clone going to remind her of Rachel in some way?

“I see. So zere are truly ozer clones in zee vorld. Follow me,” Katja instructed them. She turned and crossed the street (never once looking back to check her doubles were actually following), and made her way to an isolated backstreet a short walk away from the theater.

“I don’t think we should be doing this,” Aila whispered to Leigh urgently, but they obeyed Katja anyway.

“She already knows,” Leigh whispered back, scared for Katja’s reaction should she realize they were talking about her. “How the hell does she already know?!”

Katja stopped walking and turned quickly. Leigh almost walked into her. Then Katja stared. Leigh and Aila stared right back.

“Tell me of zis danger,” Katja demanded, “and zen I have zings to tell you also.”

“Yeah…you sure do,” Leigh agreed, still staring.

Aila kept her eyes on Katja, both amazed and intimidated by this woman’s very presence and expressionless face. “Someone is hunting us,” she explained. “We don’t know who, but they’ve already killed a few of us in other countries. They tried to kill me, but we got away, barely.” Aila paled a bit as she recalled the scene of gruesome slaughter in her apartment.

“How you know zis?” Katja asked instantly. Leigh swallowed and dared to step forward. Aila glanced at her; how did Leigh know all of this anyway? She’d never even thought to ask.

“I…err…it’s a long story,” Leigh admitted. “Let’s just say I’ve known everything for a long, long time. Well, not everything – just…just some things…”

“Ja,” Katja nodded. “You vork for DYAD.”

Aila stared at Leigh. Leigh stared at Katja. She shook her head. “Worked,” she corrected her. “Look, I’m not discussing it out here. Can we please go somewhere safe?”

“I err…dunno if we should,” Aila spoke up.

Katja fixed her gaze on her. “You are fearing me, and yet you are all over English news being suspect of murder,” she said bluntly.

Aila’s head snapped up so fast she almost thought it would break, her eyes wide and mouth agape. “WHAT?! M-murder?!” she squeaked, her throat dry. She felt nauseous as she remembered the body in her apartment. The police thought she did it? “N-no! I didn’t kill anyone. When I got back from meeting Leigh, the killer had broken into my apartment and killed my monitor before trying to kill the two of us,” she said in a rush, looking at Leigh for help. Leigh nodded desperately, but Katja only responded with a slow blink.

“It ez not me you need to convince,” she assured them. “I’m sure you have many zings to tell me, as I do you. Come. Vee go to my house now.”

The Scottish and English clones struggled to keep up with Katja. Their minds raced, and they felt very sick suddenly. Katja half turned her head as she walked to eye the figures behind her.

“Zey vill not find you and take you back to your country if you do as I say. I have a...friend...voo can help, but first vee go to my house and vee discuss everyzing.”

Aila nodded shakily and followed Katja, staring at the ground as she walked in silence.

\--

Katja led the two clones back to her house in silence. It was a fairly sizable house without being ridiculous. The main sitting area was warm and cozy, with lots of red and brown colours surrounding a large fireplace. The whole room reminded Aila of a setting she’d seen once on a holiday card.

“Sit,” Katja ordered before vanishing into another room.

Aila quietly lowered herself into one of the soft chairs and stared at her hands, trying hard not to panic and cry. How on earth did things go so wrong so quickly? Two days ago she was living a comfortable and normal life. Now she had no home, no job, and a possible prison sentence on the horizon for a crime she didn’t commit.

“I think I need a drink…” she murmured, her voice hoarse.

Leigh willed herself to sit down as well. She had no idea what to say to make Aila feel better, so she remained quiet.

Katja reappeared a short while later. She had removed her coat, but her sunglasses remained sitting on her head, and she carried a laptop under her arm. She placed it on the coffee table in front of Aila and Leigh, and then knelt down on the floor besides it, staring up at them.

“Vee speak to Rat on here soon,” she told them.

“Rat?” Aila asked.

“Ja. Rat vill help us. Rat knows of DYAD. She knows of you both. Zis ez how I know too.”

“R-Rat’s another clone?” Leigh asked, surprised. Katja nodded. “How…how did you and this Rat person find out? I thought…” Leigh stopped. She was beginning to feel uneasy about sharing her information, but the stern look Katja gave her encouraged her to continue. “I thought I was the only self-aware clone. The others aren’t supposed to know,” she explained.

“Hold up,” Aila managed, watching her intensely. “You’ve known? As in forever?”

“Yeah,” Leigh admitted regretfully. “Part of the experiment. I don’t know why I was self-aware and the others weren’t. I don’t get to know all of that.”

“But you vork for DYAD,” Katja reminded her. “You must know some zings.”

“I only worked for DYAD because I started to find out some things,” Leigh explained exasperatedly. “I was never supposed to find out anything; hell, I didn’t know even know there were other clones until a few weeks ago! I thought me and…I thought I was the only one. It’s a long story, but I agreed to take a job working there because I wanted to know what the hell they were playing at, and then I found out about this killer…”

“So who ez zis killer?” Katja asked. “You have a name? A face?”

“No,” Leigh said, and Aila shook her head as confirmation. “We never saw them. What about Rat? How did you and her find out?” she asked again.

Katja blinked slowly and lifted up the laptop lid. She pulled it towards her and began typing. “Maybe Rat vill tell you herself,” she offered. Aila and Leigh watched closely and waited.

A moment later, a window opened on the screen, showing the unmistakable face of a clone. She had short hair, and wore a plain black sleeveless top and a silver necklace with a silver canine pendant. The clone glanced down at her own screen while typing, but paused when she noticed that Katja wasn’t alone in the room.

“So you’re not in a rabbit cage yet. What do they want?” she asked, her voice flat even as her eyes showed suspicion.

“Meet Rat,” Katja told Leigh and Aila.

Aila raised her hand as if to wave in greeting, but then pretended to brush a strand of hair behind her ear when Rat showed no signs of being pleasant to either of them. Leigh simply stared.

“What do they want?” Rat asked again.

Katja suppressed a sigh, but rolled her eyes. “Zey vant to know how vee know zings. Tell zem.”

“I’m telling them eff all,” Rat responded coldly. “Where are you, anyway?”

“My house,” was Katja’s response.

Leigh bit her lip when Rat appeared to slam something violently onto her desk. Katja pulled a face, as if she'd been waiting for this reaction.

After the initial outburst, Rat just stared at the screen for a moment. “No. You are NOT that stupid, right?” she hissed, her eyes slowly growing more intense as the German clone shrugged and put her head on her hand. Rat sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. “One of them is DYAD! Isn’t it common sense to NOT go teaming up with someone you’re at WAR with? Must I remind you that DYAD are the ones who make a habit of sneaking into houses at night to perform illegal experiments on our kind as we sleep? The ones who TORTURE and KILL anyone who doesn’t agree with them? Are you TRYING to get us both captured and tossed into a lab cage?”

Aila’s eyes widened in shock. “W-what?! Illegal experiments…in our…sleep…” she trailed off, looking horrified as her question was finally answered, and she stared at Leigh as if wanting some type of explanation. “Did you know that?”

Leigh wanted to shrink into herself and disappear. Katja was the only who wasn’t making her feel accused or untrustworthy. Her apathetic attitude might have bothered Leigh any other time, but right now she was grateful.

“I never knew,” Leigh told Aila honestly. “Not until you asked me about people coming into your home the other day. I never had any proof, and I didn’t want to alarm you in case I was wrong. They did tests on me while I was awake my whole life, because I’ve always known I was a clone. I had no idea they were breaking into your houses and doing this without your knowledge!”

“Yeah, right,” Rat shot irritably.

“Yeah, it IS right actually,” Leigh snapped. She really didn’t like Rat already. “Why can’t any of you understand?! I left DYAD and came to warn you about this killer because THEY don’t care what happens to us; to any of us! Just because I’ve always known they made me doesn’t mean I support what they’re doing! Not now I’ve found out!”

Aila fell quiet, staring at the floor. The more she found out, the more this felt like a bad dream, or a movie. It didn’t feel real. She tried to speak, but nothing came out. She couldn’t imagine the types of things DYAD might have done to her over the years. She supposed she’d have noticed sooner if they’d done anything invasive, but she couldn't help feeling incredibly violated.

Rat looked unimpressed. “Left them? You don’t leave DYAD; they’re like the friggin' Mafia,” she muttered. “They’re not going to tolerate someone running around messing up their experiments. Let’s say for a moment I believe you. Do you two even have a plan? A structured way of doing things that won’t get you caught? Because it’s already in your profiles that you arrived in Frankfurt. They know exactly where you are.”

“How…how?” Aila asked in disbelief.

“Just screams dodgy to me,” Rat continued. “Either you’re trying to bring us all down and passing your whereabouts onto DYAD, or you’re so stupid you have no idea what you’re DOING-”

“Hang on a minute. How do you know all of this anyway? You’re judging me, but you have all this info?” Leigh was raising her voice now, anger increasing by the second. “How do I know YOU’RE not working for DYAD?”

“Rat hacks,” Katja said simply, still not moving from her slouched position on the floor. “Zis ez vat she does.”

Rat looked annoyed, but shook her head and sighed. “As Katja said. Without going into technical detail, let's just say as soon as DYAD knows something, I know it as well. For the most part, anyway. I’ve been gathering intel on them for years, and I fully intend to bury everyone involved with them for everything they’ve ever done,” she seethed in a low and threatening voice.

Aila looked between Leigh and Rat nervously, her eyes wide as Leigh's anger increased. The doctor sighed and retreated into her own thoughts for several minutes, considering the pros and cons of her next words before looking at Leigh. “I believe you,” Aila spoke quietly.

“Oh, well that makes everything MUCH better…NOT,” Rat spoke loudly. “Are you really thick enough to believe this idiot? You can’t trust ANY of them. And as for YOU, Katja…well, I thought you were smarter than this.”

“Innocent until proven guilty, Rattyrat,” Katja said dismissively. “I am reserving all judgment.”

“You’re going to get yourself KILLED,” Rat hissed through the screen. Katja ignored her.

“What do I have to do to prove I’m not directly involved in all of this?” Leigh asked, her voice trembling now. “I have no control over my birth, or how I grew up. I knew OF them; I went in for tests and such, but I never knew what they did! I was just a kid…I’m just a hairdresser, for Christ’s sake…I was never supposed to know what I know now…I was just like the rest of you…”

She stopped talking. If Rat wasn’t going to believe her, she wasn’t sure what else she could say. The very thought made her want to run.

“How…how could DYAD know where we are though?” Aila asked quietly. “We were so careful…”

Rat sighed. She still looked annoyed. “My best guess would be they’re tracking your movements through your passports,” she explained tiredly and reluctantly. “They’re probably screening for your names, and every time you buy a plane ticket, they’ll know precisely where you are, where you’re going, and when you’ll be there. I wouldn’t be surprised if one of these times they’ll have someone waiting for you when you exit the terminal to either pick you up or follow you, if they haven’t done that already.”

“So how the hell are we supposed to travel then? There are still three others who need to be warned! Maybe more! Are we just supposed to let them DIE?” Leigh demanded, though she looked more defeated than angry now.

“Rat can do somezing about zat,” Katja said, randomly piping up from her unchanged position.

“And just what makes you think that?” the hacker muttered crossly.

“You say you can’t do it?” Katja asked evenly, obviously baiting her.

Rat rolled her eyes. “Of course I can. Don’t be stupid,” she grumbled as she turned her attention to something off-screen. The soft sounds of typing floated through the speakers.

Leigh slouched moodily. “As if you’d really do that for us,” she scoffed.

“I’m not doing it for you,” Rat said with a sharp glare. “I’m doing it so your idiocy doesn’t get Katja killed.”

“Oh Rat,” Katja spoke, pretending to be flattered. “You do care.”

Rat muttered something incoherent as she continued to type. Aila and Leigh exchanged distressed and confused glances. Katja finally sat up a little straighter to watch them.

“You two vill stay here tonight, ja? I do not zink staying verever you are staying ez a good choice. If you have checked into a hotel, DYAD could still be tracking you.”

“They haven’t,” Rat interrupted. “Or if they have, it’s not on their files yet. The last update just says they made it to Frankfurt.”

“We’ve been paying for things by cash only,” Aila explained shakily. “Bank cards can be traced…”

“Oh at last, some common sense,” Rat responded with an eye roll.

“We’re not complete idiots,” Leigh grumbled defensively. “But we don’t know everything. That’s why we’re so shocked. We didn’t think they could trace us using our passports like that.”

“Vell, you both stay here just to be safe,” Katja told them as if her word was final. Leigh opened her mouth to talk, but Rat groaned.

“Great, you all team up. What better way to avoid detection than sticking together to create an easy target? DYAD knows where you live, Katja. How many times do I have to explain this? If they know these two are in Germany, it’ll be pretty damn obvious to them they’re setting out to meet clones! They won’t even need monitors to know they’re meeting up with you!”

“Vee stay here for zis von night and zen scram,” Katja responded. She shrugged as she spoke. “Fix zeir passports, and mine, and zen vee can travel safe. Get out of DYAD’s vay. You both have all your belongings, ja?”

“Yeah; we weren’t gonna risk leaving anything in the hotel,” Leigh explained, gesturing to the small bags she and Aila had between them.

“But we already paid for the rooms,” Aila breathed.

Katja shrugged again. “So if DYAD does know you are at zis hotel, it vill buy us some time. Zee trail stops zere if you do not check out. By zee time zey come to my house looking, vee vill be gone, and zey vill not know vere.”

“Yeah, unless you’re being watched right this second,” Rat snapped.

Katja stood up casually, crossed over to the window, and peeked out of the curtain. She watched the outside world for a second or two, looking this way and that, and then turned to face the other women. “Zere ez nobody zere,” she stated.

Rat groaned. “This isn’t funny Katja!”

“Who says I am trying to be funny?” Katja asked, her voice a little louder than usual. She hurried back over and collapsed in front of the laptop to watch Rat. “I am just trying to help. I am going vith zem verever zey are going. If zere is a killer, I am not staying put and vaiting for zem to find me.”

“But how can you be so trusting?” Rat asked her angrily.

Katja shrugged. She glanced at Aila and Leigh. “Zey are us, Rat. Zey need our help. Vee need zeirs too. Vee stick togezer.”

Rat muttered something, but she was mostly silent for several minutes. At last, she leaned back in her chair. “There,” she told the other clones. “That should buy at least some time between trips to get out of the airports. You’ll still be flagged, but it will redirect the hits in a kind of loop for a while before delivering them. Also, I’d advise picking airports with some degree of distance to your actual target city and taking public transport from there.”

“Danke Rattyrat,” Katja said in a too-sweet voice.

“Whatever,” Rat muttered, picking up something off of her desk and throwing it off-screen, to which an excited yipping and scampering could be heard. “Just don’t forget you still agreed to help me with my stuff too,” she added, leaning down to pick the item up before tossing it again.

“I do not go back on my promises Rat,” Katja assured her. “Call me ven you need me.”

Rat grumbled something in agreement, and the call ended. The trio of clones sat in silence for a while to take in all that had happened before Katja got to her feet and disappeared into another room, muttering something about fetching much needed wine and cookies.

\-- 

“So…you still never explained how you and Rat already knew about this,” Aila brought up the subject that evening.

  
She and Leigh were sitting rigidly on Katja’s sofa after reluctantly agreeing to stay. Katja had allowed them to shower (it had been a few days and both clones were extremely grateful for it), and prepared dinner without making a fuss. Leigh felt a bit awkward; she didn’t want Katja going out of her way for people she had only just met, but Katja was persistent in insisting they eat.

  
Now, Katja was sitting curled up in an armchair to the left of the sofa, nibbling on a rather large chocolate chip cookie. She watched the clones closely. “I knew of clones before I met Rat, even,” she explained between bites. “I have a large family. Many brothers and sisters; most adopted, but some are birth children of my adopted parents, you see. Zey vanted to care for children vithout families as vell as raise zeir own. Zey are good people, my parents.”

  
Katja took a moment or two to devour more of the cookie in her hand. Leigh stared at her, eager for her to continue. “My real parents - I mean, my birth parents…zey could not have children by themselves. Zey searched for doctors for help, to have zee IVF treatment, but zey did not know zey vere receiving clone from DYAD. My real mother died during child birth, so I never knew her. I still do not know what became of my real father, or vhy he didn’t vant me any longer, but in zee end I was adopted by zis large family who loved and raised me as zeir own.

  
“DYAD made one of my sisters become my monitor. At first she had no clue of clones, but one day she overheard zings and realized vhat vas happening. She did not agree zat it was right. She told me everything a good few years back, so I, like you,” Katja looked at Leigh, “have been self-avare for a vhile. So far, DYAD have been good to me ever since I found out. Zey vere angry at my sister, but all vas forgiven in exchange for us keeping quiet.”

  
Katja finished her cookie, stretched out her hand and examined her fingers for crumbs. “Zen Rat found me, and my view on DYAD changed. I do not trust zem.”  
Aila frowned, remembering how angry Rat was at DYAD, and wasn’t sure she really wanted to know what else the company had done. She sipped at her wine, entirely grateful for it as she managed to relax in the chair in front of the fireplace. The soft orange glow danced around the room, and Aila looked up at Katja again, nodding.

  
“My birth mum gave me up for adoption directly after I was born, though I don’t know why,” she explained. “I’ve never been able to find any leads about who she is or where. I never knew about any of this before two days ago when Leigh saved me from whoever's killing us.” The doctor fell silent again before looking over at Leigh. “By the way, I meant what I said earlier…I do believe you. Might be daft since we only just met and don’t really know each other yet, but I feel like you’re a good person.”

  
Leigh had been sitting quietly until this point. She felt her throat tighten horribly at Aila’s words, and suddenly realised she could not stay composed. “I need a minute,” she muttered. She stood up quickly and left the room, allowing her legs to walk her up the stairs to Katja’s bathroom without having any control over them.

  
Leigh entered, lightly closed the door, and found herself in the mirror. God, she still hadn’t gotten used to that awful haircut.

  
Leigh cried.

  
\--

The next morning, Aila wandered into the living room, looking around. She wasn’t sure if anyone else was awake, but the doctor quietly made her way over to the bag on the floor and took out the stack of documents. She spread them out on the table as she sat down to look them over.

  
The easiest clones to find next would be the Austrian clone, Janika, or the French clone, Danielle. Germany bordered both countries, and it would make for easier access.

  
“Guten morgen,” a voice said suddenly, and Aila jumped a bit to find Katja plopping herself down on the sofa beside the doctor.

  
Aila cleared her throat and smiled. “Good morning Katja,” she said before looking back down at the papers.

  
“Sleep vell?” Katja asked.

  
Aila nodded briefly. “Yes, thank you.”

  
Katja eyed the biscuit tin still sitting on the coffee table from the previous night. She picked it up, removed the lid, and offered it to Aila. “Cookie?”

 

“Err,” Aila began, startled, “no thank you. Maybe later.”

  
Katja put her own hand into the tin to take out a cookie. She began eating it slowly and stood once more to see what Aila was doing. “So zis is zem. I have only heard names from Rat, but I do not know much else. Ashleigh provided you vith zis?”

  
“Aye,” Aila told her. “From DYAD.”

  
Katja ate in silence for a few moments. “Your friend, she is troubled. I do not believe she ez in league with DYAD, but she must tread carefully. Vee all must.”

  
Aila nodded. “Yeah…would they really lock us up like Rat said?” she asked.

 

Katja nodded. “I believe zere is a strong possibility of zis, yes. Still vant to dive in head first?”

  
Aila gave a dry laugh. “Back in Scotland, I have no home, no job, a bounty on my head, and a killer on my ass. Yeah...I think I’ll stick with you guys for a while.”  
Katja nodded and looked over the files, taking a particular interest in her own. Aila leaned back and stretched. “The closest two are in Austria and France, then there’s also one in Italy.”

  
“Vee go to Austria then,” Katja said with a nod.

  
Aila blinked slowly. “Suuure, can I ask why that over France?” she asked, genuinely curious.

  
“If she does not speak English, she vill speak a variation of German. I help vith that. I do not speak French,” Katja explained, and Aila nodded. It made sense, and would help them greatly.

  
“Austria it is,” Aila said as she closed the other files. “Her name is Janika. Apparently she runs some kind of popular museum, so she’s a very public person. If the killer goes there, they’ll find her easily.”

  
Aila and Katja looked up when a dazed, half-asleep Leigh shuffled into the room, her hair messier than usual. She yawned and dragged herself over to them. “What you doin’?” she asked.

  
“Preparing,” Katja explained. “Vee have decided on going to Austria next. Cookie?”

  
Leigh automatically took a cookie from the tin and raised it to her lips. She nibbled a bit, and yawned again. “I’ve been thinking,” she said quietly after a minute or two. “You’re gonna be all over British news, Aila. Do you think we should get access and find out exactly what’s being said? Or would you rather not know?”

  
“The most important thing to do ez leave,” Katja reminded them both. “So get dressed. Vee ought to be moving quickly. I’ll let Rat know too.”

  
Leigh resisted an irritable groan at the mention of Rat’s name. She hurried to leave the room to get ready, not eager to be there if Katja was about to start another video call with the hacker.

  
Aila stood and followed Leigh back down the hallway to their rooms, not really wanting to see Rat again either. She sat down on the bed and gathered up her clothes, which had thankfully been washed the night before.

  
It was nice to be clean again at the very least, and the doctor couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at her lips as she put on the pink hoody. No matter what Leigh said, that would always be funny.

  
Aila sat on the bed then and sighed. Did she really want to know what was being said about her? Surely the police would find something to prove she wasn't the killer. Weren’t they doing any DNA tests? If the killer had been in her apartment, surely there would have been something left behind. It was just a matter of time until they found it. She’d much rather be classified as a kidnap victim over a suspected killer.

  
The doctor sighed loudly and flopped back onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling. It was hard to believe that so much had changed in such a short amount of time.  
When everyone was dressed and ready and Katja had spoken to Rat, the German woman stepped in front of Leigh and pulled her aside. Leigh frowned, confused. “I have a question. Yesterday you say you knew nozing of ozer clones, yet you vere self-avare your whole life. How can zat be? How could you know you are a clone if you zought you vere zee only one?”

  
Leigh bit her lip. It didn’t make sense, even to her. “Me and this other self-aware one,” she corrected herself, and Katja nodded in understanding. “I thought me and her were the only ones. I didn’t know there were more all over the world.”

 

“Is that who Rachel is?” Aila spoke up. Leigh and Katja looked at her from across the room. “Sorry,” Aila said quickly. “I just…it doesn’t matter.”

  
“I’m not gonna talk about Rachel,” Leigh said quickly. “Let’s just get to Austria and find this Janika woman, yeah?”

  
Leigh hurried to leave the house. Aila followed her closely, and Katja watched after them, frowning a bit. 


	6. Chapter 5

By the time the trio of clones made it to Austria and found Janika’s house, the sun was starting to set. They’d spent the better part of the day getting lost in the busy streets of Salzberg, though things were much easier than they had been in Frankfurt now they had Katja with them to translate signs and ask for directions. She also translated a menu at a small diner they’d stopped in for lunch. The German woman didn’t seem to mind at all, even though she said very little during the whole trip.

The journey had still been exhausting, mentally if not physically. Whenever the clones attempted to make contact with Janika, they failed to get through. Janika never once answered her phone, so after some debate, the trio made their way to her home, leaving Leigh and Aila anxious for the new clone’s reaction when they came face to face.

When the three stopped near the house, they stared at it for several minutes, not quite sure what to make of it. It was a big house, and it was located at the top of a large hill overlooking the town. If the clones didn't know any better, they'd have thought the house was abandoned. The yard was overrun with tall, dead weeds and grass, and so were the thick stone walls surrounding the property. The stone pathway up to the steps was cracked and had splashes of red at random places. Even stranger than that was the array of pumpkins. Not just pumpkins, but fully carved jack-o-lanterns that really had no rhyme or reason for being where they were. They were placed in random locations all over the yard. The house itself looked old and full of cobwebs on the outside.

“Um…is this…the right place?” Aila ventured to ask after several minutes, checking the address on the paper and the address on the rusted sign hanging awkwardly from the stone wall.

“The files don’t lie,” Leigh told her with a shrug. “God, she’s gonna be some kind of Gothic Halloween freak, isn’t she?”

“Don’t judge, Leigh!” Aila scolded her.

Leigh shrugged again. “She shouldn’t live in a creepy house then, should she?”

“Komm, lass uns gehen.”

Aila and Leigh stared at Katja, who stopped in her tracks towards the front door and looked back over her shoulder.

“Let’s go,” she repeated in a language they could understand. “Ve need to find her quickly.”

“Wait – _wait!_ ” Leigh whispered, but Katja had already made it to the door and was knocking loudly.

“Katja, don’t you think we should prepare for what we’re going to say to her? Even _I’m_ quite scared for the poor girl’s reaction when she sees us,” Aila added.

Katja said nothing. She knocked again, louder this time, but there appeared to be nobody home. Katja pulled a face and hurried back over to Leigh and Aila.

“What are you doing _now?_ ” Leigh demanded. Katja shot her a look, but Leigh missed the scowl hiding behind her large sunglasses.

“Going around zee back,” Katja informed her.

Aila and Leigh stared after her, stunned. “Katja – you can’t just- _Katja!_ ” Aila called. The doctor ran a hand through her hair, and sighed with exasperation before looking at Leigh. “She can’t just break into someone’s back garden…oh my _God._ ”

Leigh sighed and jogged after Katja, and Aila stared after her for a moment before following as well. There was no way this was shaping up to end well.

The doctor turned the corner and stopped quickly as she nearly bumped into Leigh, who was staring at something. Aila looked over the hairdresser’s shoulder, raising an eyebrow at the sight before her.

The back yard was massive, and just as weird and desolate as the front yard. The figure of a woman with dark blue, pinned up hair ran around the garden with a large net.

“What the…” Aila muttered, not quite sure what to think of the scene. Leigh just stared. She continued to stare when Katja bounced towards the blue-haired clone without a care in the world. “Christ!” Aila hissed to herself, catching up to Katja and seizing her by the arm. “Katja, you _can’t-_ ”

But Katja simply shook her arm to get Aila off of her and sped up. She held her head high as she approached Janika, and cleared her throat. “Entschuldigen sie mich,” were the words she spoke loudly and clearly.

Aila flailed behind her, trying to decide if she should run for cover or join Katja, while Leigh took a few fearful steps back and hid behind the wall of the house. “Fuck’s sake,” she muttered.

Aila decided to stay back as well and watch events unfold as they would. The blue-haired woman paused, glancing at Katja with wide eyes.

Her eyes were odd. Upon closer inspection, Katja realised she must be wearing colored contacts, making her eyes bright silver rather than brown.

“Wie bitte? Wer bist du? Ich habe fliegen zu jaged,” Janika said, looking more curious than freaked out over the appearance of a woman who shared her face.

“Katja; Katja Obinger,” Katja responded coolly. She lowered her glasses so she could see Janika more clearly, who took a few curious steps towards her. “Sprich Englisch?”

“Ja,” Janika responded, still staring at Katja with wide eyes.

“Good,” Katja breathed. “You are Janika Zingler, ja?”

“Ja,” Janika told her, nodding. “And you are Katja Obinger…ja?”

“Ja.”

“This is going _nowhere_ ,” Leigh complained. She had walked up behind Aila so she could listen in. “Honestly…just…what the _fu-_ ”

Janika spotted the two of them. She fixed the doctor and hairdresser with a frightening gaze. Her silver eyes made Leigh take another step back. “Shit.”

Aila blinked and gave an awkward wave. “Uh…hi.”

Janika bounded over to them and paused, looking them over with huge eyes. Aila blinked and gave an awkward smile, trying not to look too freaked out by the other clone. Her eyes gave off such an eerie feeling that the doctor couldn’t hold her gaze for long. Janika looked at the two for a long moment before lightly poking each of them in the shoulder.

“Oi! What the friggin’ hell was that for?!” Leigh shrieked.

Janika pulled her lips back in a wide grin before tossing her head back and laughing. “I knew it, I KNEW it! They said I was crazy, but HA!”

Aila took a step back, staying close to Leigh as she felt the hairdresser do the same. “K-knew what?” she stammered.

“YOU! US! YOU REALLY EXIST!” Janika exclaimed with a grin. “They said I was crazy! See, about a year back I ‘accidentally’ came across some emails on me mate's computer after catchin' 'em writin' weirdass notes down 'bout me. Sendin' reports off ta some Dr…somethinorother…anyways, didn’t say much, but said enough to know they were spyin' on me! Now, I don’t take kindly to spyin', and they kept callin' me a ‘clone’, so I made 'em tell me what were goin' on along with some…ehehe…colorful promises...men, pah! They crack so easy. Anyways, he didn’t say much but had me meet Dr. whatshisname, who tried to throw it off as some kinda weirdass social study thing, and that a ‘clone’ was just a keyword, but maaaaan he was bad at lyin'! After mullin' it over for a while, it started ta make sense. Y’see, all them tests they kept putting off as ‘for me own health’...BULL! I were always healthy. Called up me mum, and she ‘splained that whole IVF…thing…and said the docs wouldn’t say where they got the baby from, and things just kinda…fit. Holy shit! I tried getting them docs to confirm it, but they said I were crazy! HAH! Shove that up your ass Selena!”

The blue-haired clone walked circles around the other three, who all stared at her in silence. Janika finally stopped walking and faced them, still grinning like a maniac, before clapping her hands together. “SO, what can I do ya for?”

Leigh was about to open her mouth to talk before she realised it was already hanging open in utter shock. A strange raspy sound came out when she couldn’t find the words.

“Uh…uh…OK…uh,” Aila stuttered.

Katja, who had wandered over during Janika’s outburst, held her hand up to silence the doctor, put her sunglasses back on, and stepped between the women. “Ve are in danger. Someone is killing us off. Ve have come to varn you.”

Janika tilted her head. “Eh? Why’d someone wanna go and do that for?” she asked, looking marginally more serious than she had a minute ago.

“May ve talk inside?” Katja asked. “It ez not safe to stand around outside.”

Janika frowned and looked into her net. “Eh…guess that’ll do. Not as many flies as I woulda liked,” she grumbled, tilting her head at the flies she’d collected. Aila just stared and didn’t want to ask why on earth Janika was collecting flies. It was just beyond unsanitary.

Janika walked up to the back door and opened it, leaving it open for the others as she entered the house. The inside of the house was like walking into a different dimension. It was perfectly clean and done up in an extremely fancy and decorative way, with bright orange carpet, wooden walls, and various types of decorations of all sorts everywhere the eye could see, all similar in the theme of pumpkins, cobwebs, and bats. The house was fairly dark, and illuminated largely by candles and small orange lights that seemed to make everything glow.

“Holy shite…” Aila muttered, looking around.

Janika led the group into a room where a woman with long black hair lay across an orange and black sofa. She heard the footsteps and looked over, both eyebrows shooting up in stunned shock.

“Selena! I AIN'T crazy, SEE?! So you can go and shove that therapy bullshit up your ass,” Janika said, plopping down onto a chair with her arms crossed. She looked extraordinarily smug and pleased with herself.

While Leigh and Aila hung back, nervous and unsure of what was to happen next, Katja calmly walked to stand next to Janika. She peered at the stranger through her sunglasses and shoved her hands in her pockets, making herself appear rather intimidating and unfazed with her blank expression.

Meanwhile, Leigh found herself both fascinated and concerned by the decorations and objects Janika had chosen to include in her home. She nudged Aila, gave her a triumphant glance, and muttered, “Told you.”

The woman known as Selena sat up straight and simply stared at Katja in shock, struggling to read her features which were mostly blocked by the glasses. Still, Katja did not remove them.

“This was a bad idea,” Leigh whispered to Aila. “Let’s go-”

Aila grabbed Leigh’s upper arm as she turned on her heel to march out of the house. Aila held Leigh firmly in place and watched and waited anxiously for somebody, anybody to say something.

Selena stared at Katja in silence, before shifting her gaze from her, to Aila, and then to Leigh. “Heilige Scheiße…” she managed, not quite believing what she was seeing.

“Sprich Englisch?” Katja asked as she casually sat down on a nearby chair.

“Ja…y-yeah yes,” Selena managed awkwardly, her green gaze continuously shifting between the four clones suddenly surrounding her.

Janika smirked and stood again, bringing her net full of flies she’d been holding over to a small cage sitting on a table in the corner. She cooed at something as she emptied the insects into the cage.

Selena took a breath and cleared her throat. “I-I never…would have believed it,” she said, shaking her head. “Are you all really…h-human clones?”

“Ja,” Katja said. “You are monitor, yes?”

“I’m a…what?” Selena asked, tilting her head, not familiar with the word.

“Uberwachen,” Katja clarified, to which Selena shook her head.

“No?” she said, looking over at Janika, who was still at the cage humming cheerfully.

Panic hit Leigh when Katja mentioned Selena being a monitor, and her mouth fell open as she turned around to face away from everyone. She tried discretely to pull Janika’s file out of her bag while Katja continued to talk with Selena and Janika (they had somehow ended up chatting very quickly, and in Leigh’s opinion, angrily, in German), but Aila noticed what the hairdresser was doing.

“Is it true?” she whispered to Leigh, peering over her shoulder at the document.

Leigh scanned through the information quickly. She eventually found the notes on Janika’s monitor. “Shit.”

“Double shit,” Aila added.

They both slowly looked around, and then slowly turned their heads to stare at each other in blind panic. What was Janika thinking? How could she bring three other clones into her house and introduce them to this woman, whether she knew she was her monitor or not?

Leigh struggled to speak, but she wondered if Aila was thinking the same as her. If Selena was a monitor, she was under DYAD’s control.

This could only end badly for them.

Aila read over the documents again and frowned, glancing over at the trio who were all still bickering in German.

“What should we do?” Aila asked with a sigh. “We still have to warn them, but if that woman’s with DYAD, we’re already in danger. Should we explain what’s going on and then just leave and go…I don’t know…just go elsewhere?”

Leigh drew in a deep breath and nodded. “Y-yeah. The longer we stay here, the more likely we’ll get caught.”

It was time to get tough.

“Oi, Selena,” Leigh spoke loudly and confidently. The woman turned her attention to Leigh with wide, nervous eyes. “It’s down here in black and white you’re monitoring Janika, so don’t even try to lie about it. We know things. We know things, and if you know what’s good for you, you won’t try to stop us or get in our way.”

Everyone was quiet and still now, apart from Janika, who, every so often, ran her fingers over the bars of the cage as if to catch the attention of whatever beast lived inside.

“Yes, we are clones,” Leigh continued. “Several others have been killed already. Aila and I,” she gestured to the doctor as she spoke, “just about managed to escape the killer before coming to find Katja. If you need proof, we can give you proof, but we had to at least warn you.” Leigh stepped back and looked directly at Aila. “I dunno where we go from here,” she said quietly so only Aila could hear.

“Ve speak to Rat now,” Katja spoke up. She stood and began looking around Janika’s room for something. Leigh swore under her breath when she realised Katja had spotted what she was looking for. The German lowered her sunglasses and eyed a laptop lying on a cluttered desk near the sofa. She hesitated, then darted towards it, picking it up.

“Oh _no,_ ” Leigh snapped. “Katja-”

“I told Rat I vould update her,” Katja said matter-of-factly. “My laptop is packed away. Too much faffing. This is quicker.”

At some point during this conversation, Janika pulled her focus from the mysterious creature in the cage, and fully turned her attention back to Selena, who was looking even paler than usual. The blue-haired clone frowned. “Ya were spyin' too? That true?” she asked quietly.

Selena sighed and buried her face in her hands, and Aila recognized the look of wishing it was all a bad dream. She felt somewhat bad for Selena. The doctor recalled Leigh’s theory that the monitors might be victims themselves.

“Jan…I…they gave me no choice,” Selena began quietly. “Look, you remember my boy? Karl?”

Janika frowned and nodded. “Yeah? He’s got some kinda…somethinorother up with ‘em, right? Ya sent ‘em off for treatments? What ‘bout ‘em?”

Selena frowned at her hands. “The treatments were offered for free…from DYAD, in exchange for weekly updates about how you’re fairing. It was odd to me, but there was no other way. I couldn’t afford them…I swear I didn’t know about…” She waved a hand around at the others. “About this, but that doctor, Dr. Leekie…he’s made it more than clear now that if I don’t do as he says, he’ll stop Karl’s medicine…”

Leigh felt her hands ball tight into fists. Her teeth clenched together painfully as anger welled up in her heart. How could Leekie do something like that? It was bad enough knowing DYAD were controlling a junkie that way, but this… _this_ was a whole new low completely. “Bastards!” Leigh hissed under her breath, biting back the sudden urge to punch something.

“ _YOU DID WHAT?!_ ” a new voice came through, slightly distorted.

Janika and Selena both jumped and looked over to see Katja calmly kneeling on the floor in front of a laptop. The face of another, very angry clone was displayed on the screen.

“OI! Who the friggin' ‘ell said ya could go and use that?!” Janika snapped. Selena just stared.

Leigh groaned and put a hand over her head to try to ward off her growing headache. While she made a point to put distance between herself and the laptop, Aila slowly inched nearer and carefully sat down on the sofa.

“You vanted me to update you, ja?” Katja told Rat coolly. “Janika knows. Ve have her monitor here also.” Katja turned the laptop so the camera could show Rat Janika and Selena, who both flinched a little in response.

“You can’t just _take my laptop-_ ”

“Hush,” Katja interrupted. “This ez important. Shut up and listen.”

“Katja, what the HELL ARE YOU ON?!” Rat’s voice shrieked from the laptop. “YOU’RE THERE WITH A MONITOR? Holy hell; this is a WHOLE new level of stupid…I can’t even…I just…” Rat trailed off. Katja eyed the screen as Rat rose from her seat and disappeared off camera, apparently to calm herself down.

“She ever _not_ mad?” Leigh shot coolly.

“Everyone just…calm down,” Aila spoke up. She rubbed her forehead for a second before looking around at everyone. “Getting angry won’t solve anything. The most important thing to remember is there’s a killer after us, and we need to make sure we’re safe.”

“You need to get the hell away from Janika’s house first!” Rat could be heard from the laptop. “And you need to find a way to keep that monitor quiet, because you’re screwed if you don’t!”

Selena shrunk back and sat back down. Leigh wondered if she might cry. Janika stood and wandered back over to the cage, seemingly distracting herself from everything by focusing on whatever lived in it.

Things in the room became silent, and very tense. Aila sighed and ran a hand through her hair, glancing around at everyone before quietly walking over to a chair to sit down. Although this meeting wasn’t quite as disastrous as when she met Leigh, it was far from ideal. She quietly reflected on what Selena said. It was absolutely disgusting to think that the ones who effectively created the clones would sink to such levels.

Finally, after several minutes, Rat reappeared in her chair, rubbing her head. She shook her head and typed again, passing another few several minutes without a word before addressing the other clones. “Whoever your mystery killer is, they’ve left Scotland,” Rat explained slowly and clearly. “Yesterday morning, a clone was found dead in Wales, and another this morning in Belgium. Both were gunshot victims. Same caliber rounds as what was recovered from the other corpses. Whoever they are, they’re moving fast and effectively. DYAD are aware of it, and seem to be informing monitors to keep an extra eye out. If you lot leave now and _that_ one keeps her trap shut, it’ll be like you were never there. Just wait for them to contact you about this and act surprised.”

Selena nodded quietly, still looking at her hands and not daring to look at Janika. She had no idea what this would mean for their friendship, which had been genuine, and which had existed before she’d been dragged into the conspiracy.

Leigh couldn’t help glancing at Aila, who watched her right back. They knew they were thinking the same as each other. The killer had killed a monitor before, so who was to say Selena would be safe from them if she remained here? Or any of the clones’ monitors, friends or family, for that matter?

“Shit,” Leigh whispered. This was proving to be harder than she ever imagined. She couldn’t save _everyone_ DYAD had used, created and corrupted…could she?

“You need to establish a base,” Rat spoke up again, still typing away rapidly. “You need somewhere safe to disappear to for a while. I would suggest doing that sooner rather than later. That way you can stay off the grid instead of traveling around and risking running into the killer, or even DYAD for that matter. I wouldn’t be surprised if they come looking for you lot; especially _that_ one.”

Leigh didn’t have to see who Rat was trying to gesture at to know she meant her. She couldn’t help glaring…but Rat was right. It only made sense.

“So, ve come to you?” Katja suggested.

Rat grumbled. “Like hell you lot are coming here. You find your own place.”

“Well do you have any suggestions, then?” Leigh snapped.

Rat was silent for several minutes as her typing filled the air again. It was a sound Leigh was quickly growing to hate.

“Where are the rest of the ones you’re looking for exactly? What countries?” Rat asked.

“There’s one in France, and one in Italy,” Leigh muttered with a sigh. “And also one in Canada, but I'm pretty sure she'll be safe for a while.”

The hacker nodded to herself and turned back to the screen. “My suggestion, not that any of you ever listen, would be to buy a property somewhere in Switzerland under a false name and stay there for a while. It borders Germany, Austria, France, and Italy, and therefore gives you room to go where you need to go.”

“I ain’t friggin’ leavin' home to come live with a bunch of weirdos in a random place,” Janika spoke up. She looked around at everyone when she realized they were staring at her. “No offence or nothin’.”

“Yeah, cause _we’re_ the weirdoes,” Leigh muttered under her breath.

“Zank you for your expertise, Rat,” Katja said. “Ve vill let you go now.”

“If ANY of this backfires on me, you will all have hell to pay,” Rat warned them before Katja ended the call. “Just…for God’s sake, use some common sense.”

The call ended. Everyone was silent until Katja turned off the laptop and shut the lid. “So, ve must look for a property. Zis ez turning out to be quite an adventure, ja?”

“Fuck’s sake,” Leigh sighed to herself. “What about _her?_ ” She nodded at Selena. “We gonna take her into hiding as well? All the other monitors and people involved we’ll meet in future? How’re we supposed to hide and protect everyone under one roof? I hate to admit it, but Rat’s right. If DYAD finds us, what then?”

“Do we even have enough money to get a place?” Aila questioned.

Leigh shrugged. “I have a lot more in my bank, but I don’t wanna risk withdrawing it. Not unless Rat’ll hack my account for us or something, but I can’t see her doing that.”

Katja stood up. She looked around at everyone and readjusted her sunglasses. “I can help vith zis. I have money.”

Aila nodded. “I do too, but I don’t think mine's safe to touch right now with everything going on back in Scotland.” She frowned, but she didn’t want to say what exactly was happening in Scotland for fear of spooking Janika and Selena. The doctor sighed to herself. She wondered if the other doctors she’d befriended thought she was a murderer too.

Looking around the room, Aila rubbed the back of her neck. “I don’t suppose anyone here knows anything about the Swiss housing market?” she asked nervously.

\--

Meeting with Janika had possibly been the most stressful task yet (besides narrowly avoiding being shot in the head and discovering the dead body of Aila’s monitor, that is). After some debate, Aila, Leigh and Katja agreed to leave Janika’s house so she could discuss the situation with Selena. Leigh had been reluctant; she was concerned about leaving them to fend for themselves, but Aila convinced her that the two of them needed space and time to get their heads around what had just happened.

After giving Janika the numbers for their pink clone phones, they left the eccentric house, and found a hotel.

“So ve need to come up with a plan of action,” Katja said that evening.

The three of them were sitting in their hotel room, having showered, eaten, and prepared for bed. Leigh was lying flat on her back on one of the beds, staring at the ceiling, while Katja and Aila sat on two chairs to look through their documents and come up with a plan.

“We need a false name, according to Rat,” Leigh yawned. “Any ideas?”

“I think we should look into locations and properties first so we know how much we need to spend,” Aila suggested.

Suddenly, one of the clone phones rang. Checking around, they discovered it was Aila’s, though the display didn’t show a name. The doctor blinked slowly, slightly alarmed. “Uh guys, should I answer this? It’s not showing any name or number,” she told the others.

Without hesitation, Katja took the phone and answered it. “Hallo?” Aila stared at the other woman, having no idea how she could just do things without a care in the world. After a few minutes, the German woman put the phone on loud-speaker. “Go on.”

“Fly to Zurich International Airport and find public transportation to a town called Appenzell,” spoke the voice on the other end of the phone. From its matter-of-fact tone, Aila and Leigh knew exactly who they were talking to. “It’s small, rural, and as far as I can tell, completely DYAD-free. There’s a property there that’s large but reasonably isolated. It’d make a good starting point.”

“And just how the hell do you know about places in Switzerland?” Leigh asked dryly.

“If you want help, shut up and accept it,” Rat snapped, and Leigh rolled her eyes.

“No one asked you for your help in the first place,” Leigh grumbled.

“Ya know what? You’re absolutely right. Fine, have fun bumbling over yourselves. I have better things to do anyway,” Rat said sharply before the line went dead.

Aila sighed and shook her head, but chose not to comment. She instead looked over a map  she'd found in a book in the hotel.

Katja lazily handed the phone back to Aila. “Rat…she _does_ mean vell.” She stared intently at Leigh as she spoke. “Ve are going to need her. Don’t make zis more difficult zan it already ez.”

Leigh pulled at her own hair irritably and rolled over onto her stomach. “Yeah, I know. I _know_. Just something about her rubs me the wrong way, that’s all.”

“You vill get used to her. She ez not all bad. Moody, yes, but she has our best interests at heart.”

“What’s the deal with her, anyway?” Leigh asked before she could stop herself. “I get we can’t trust DYAD, but she has _real_ beef with them. It’s obvious it’s personal or she wouldn’t be so hateful.”

“Not my place to discuss zis,” Katja stated simply and firmly.

Leigh stared at her. She wasn’t sure if Katja knew or not, but either way, she was probably right. She wasn’t sure she really wanted to know anyway.

“I think we should just take Rat’s advice,” Aila said with a shrug. She placed the phone down on the table and simply looked at it for a while. “She seems to know what she’s on about. I trust her.”

“As do I,” Katja agreed. They both looked at Leigh.

Leigh sighed impatiently. “ _Fine._ We’ll ask her more about this property in the morning and then make plans to go there. Dunno about you two, but I’m knackered.”

“Yeah…” Aila said, rubbing her head, though she started to look vaguely apprehensive as she looked around the room.

They’d agreed to only get one room to save on costs, and also they agreed it would be best to stay together in case Selena gave them up. They’d stand a better chance of fending DYAD off if they stayed as a group.

Aila climbed into the nearest bed to her, and Katja yawned widely. While Leigh shuffled around trying to get comfortable under the quilt, the German clone scooted closer and climbed onto the same bed.

“Pass me those pillows,” she instructed Leigh. “I vill sleep at zee other end.”

“Yeah, whatever. Just don’t kick me in the face,” Leigh warned her. She grabbed two pillows and tossed them in Katja’s direction.

“I vill if you snore,” Katja warned right back.

Leigh watched her settle down, smirked, and then lay down herself. Rachel once told her she snored horribly when her parents convinced her to have a sleepover with the clone in their youth. It ended with the girls attempting to sleep in the garden after daring each other to test their bravery in the cold autumn night, and Leigh vividly recalled Rachel screaming loudly when a fox scurried past from a hole in the fence. Leigh spent the entire night mocking her, and neither of them slept. How Rachel could accuse of her snoring was still beyond Leigh.

Aila remained sitting up for a while. She wondered if the other women had fallen asleep, or if they were still awake, silently thinking and wondering and worrying, just as she was. It took a few minutes to realise she was sitting bolt upright, rather rigidly. She had to relax.

Biting her lip, and suppressing a sigh, Aila lay down, held the blankets close to her, and waited to fall asleep. In the back of her mind, she wondered if she should have pressed for  her own room, even though she was aware of the very real danger of DYAD picking them up in the night.

Aila sighed heavily and lay awake for a bit, just listening to the deep breathing and slight snoring of the other two women in the room. She noted that both of them snored, though not very loudly. She couldn't help smirking.

The last few times Aila slept, she hadn’t received any questions or noise complaints, so she hoped  this would be an easy night as well. Eventually, Aila couldn’t fight the urge to sleep. The complete exhaustion of the past few days caught up with her, overriding her anxiety by force.

For several hours, things were peaceful in the dark room...but then that silence was shattered by a series of whimpers, followed by a short, but loud screech. Aila flailed about in the bed as if trying to fight something off, her eyes closed tightly.

It took a few moments for Leigh to react. She vaguely heard the screaming in her sleep; she rolled over onto her side before feeling as though she was falling hard back into reality. Leigh sat bolt upright, swore loudly, and heard a loud thud and an irritable groan somewhere below her. The dark figure on the floor told her Katja had jumped awake and tumbled off of the bed in sheer panic.

“Shit,” Leigh barely whispered. She felt around absently for a light switch before clumsily finding a lampshade and pulling on the string. Dim light flooded the room. “Aila…what…”

Katja stood up sleepily. Leigh watched, confused, as the German shuffled over to Aila’s bed, her eyes still half shut and her hair a mess. Katja sat down and placed a hand on the doctor’s shoulder to lightly shake her.

“Aila,” she managed in a croaky voice. Aila rolled over, gasped in fright, and sat up straight, eyes wide, breathing heavily. It took a few moments for her to realise where she was and remember there were two other clones in the room.

Leigh watched her from her own bed, too nervous to move. The doctor inhaled sharp breaths, her hand instinctively going to her throat as she slowly came back to reality. She looked at Katja with wide and frightened eyes before her gaze slowly shifted over to Leigh, and her face burned as she met their concerned stares.

“S-Sorry…” she said quietly, quickly getting out of bed and making her way to the bathroom. “I-I just…sorry, go back to sleep.” The doctor closed the door quickly behind her, leaning up against it as she buried her face in her hands, trying hard to calm down.

Katja froze for a while. She stared sleepily at the spot Aila had been lying, apparently unsure about what to do. Leigh, however, kicked back the quilt and stood up from the bed. Katja did not stop her when she realised Leigh was heading for the bathroom.

If Leigh was fully awake, she might have been more anxious about interrupting Aila, but her sleepy state seemed to give her a little more confidence to knock gently on the door, and risk pushing it open.

Aila was now standing in front of the mirror with her hands gripping the bathroom sink tightly. Leigh invited herself in, pushed the door to, and reached out to touch Aila’s shoulder.

“Aila…”

Aila jumped slightly at the contact and glanced over briefly, before her gaze returned to the sink before her. “It’s still early…go back to sleep, Leigh. I’ll be fine, just…just need a minute.”

Leigh couldn’t help feeling slightly taken aback by Aila’s reaction, but she knew it only made sense the doctor needed some space. Perhaps it had just been a bad dream…everyone had bad dreams from time to time…

Leigh withdrew her hand slowly. She watched Aila for a moment or two and briefly considered speaking, but she didn’t know what else she could say. Instead, the English clone nodded, backed out of the door, and made her way back to the bed, where Katja sat hugging her knees, looking both curious and concerned at what had just happened.

After twenty minutes, the doctor reappeared from the bathroom and sighed, climbing into bed as she felt the curious stares of the other two. She gave them a reassuring smile. “I’m fine, I promise,” she tried to reassure them as she settled in with her back against the headboard. She reached for a random book on the bedside table.

“If you are sure…” Katja said, though she looked unconvinced.

Aila nodded. “Yeah. I’ll…explain in the morning. You guys need to sleep now. We don’t have to be up for another few hours,” she murmured quietly, nodding to the clock that told them it was only four in the morning.


	7. Chapter 6

Aila didn’t sleep for the rest of the night, instead passing time by reading and even logging onto Katja’s laptop (after asking permission from the German woman when she’d gotten up to go to the bathroom) to look over news articles.

She decided to finally look up the news concerning the incident back home, and sighed to see the police weren’t sure if she was a killer or a kidnap victim at first. They'd later decided Aila was a murderer after apparently recovering DNA from skin under Joshua's nails.

Aila's DNA.

Wait a minute.

Aila reread the paragraph several times before the information really sank in. If the DNA matched hers, then that could mean...

“Holy bloody hell on friggin' _FIRE_!” Aila gasped, maybe a bit too loudly. She threw her hand over her mouth.

“Sup, Aila?” Leigh groaned sleepily. She rolled over to peer at the doctor from underneath her blankets, having been awake for the last half an hour, but still too sleepy to get up or talk to anyone until now.

The hairdresser reached for the phone lying on the bedside cabinet, but knocked it to the floor when she misjudged its position. “Fuck’s sake,” she whispered, reaching down to pick it up. The time on it showed it was almost seven in the morning. “Oi, haven’t you slept?” she asked Aila warily.

“Mmm, no, but don’t worry,” Aila said, glancing over at Leigh before looking back to her laptop. “I just read something you guys will wanna hear about when you’re more awake...” she added. She was more than a little troubled as she considered the new theory; a theory possibly more disturbing than any other they'd come up with so far.

Leigh rubbed her eyes, sat up straight, stretched her arms, and yawned. “I’m scared to find out judging by the look on your face,” she told Aila.

“Yeah, well, I’m just hoping there’s been some mistake, because this…this is just…” Aila couldn’t seem to find the words to explain what she was reading. She shook her head quietly for a few seconds, leaving Leigh to frown at her in confusion.

“Well what is it?” she asked.

An irritable groan from Katja’s end of the bed caught the attention of both Aila and Leigh, and they stared at the wriggling lump underneath the blankets. “Your voices,” Katja moaned still sounding half asleep. “Zey hurt my ears zis early.”

Aila shook her head as the German woman stuffed her head under a pillow, and motioned for Leigh to come over to the computer. She let Leigh read the paragraph herself, though she had a feeling there wasn’t much sinking in this early. They hairdresser looked at Aila for some kind of explanation.

“Yeah? We already know they think you did it…” she said.

“Leigh…they found skin under his nails…that had _MY_ DNA…we never touched his body…” Aila said, watching as Leigh finally understood.

“Y-You don’t think that…” Leigh gasped, her eyes growing wider by the second.

“I think it’s a possibility…” Aila frowned.

Leigh sat herself down on the edge of Aila’s bed and frowned deeply. She stared at the floor and bit her lip. “But…how?”

“I don’t know,” Aila shook her head as she spoke.

“More importantly, _why?_ ” Leigh asked. She looked directly at Aila now, looking slightly alarmed.

“I don’t know,” Aila said again. This was really getting to be too much.

Leigh absently tugged at her own hair, pulling harder the more she thought about this. If the killer was one of them; if the killer was a clone…could that mean…? “What if it’s one of the others we haven’t met yet?” she asked Aila quietly. “How do we know it’s safe to go meeting them if that’s the case?”

“Erm,” Aila responded. She took a minute to rub her eyes tiredly, her exhausted brain struggling to think. “We’ll speak to Rat. If she’s as clever as she says she is, she can help us…find out where these other clones were last seen. The killer last struck in Belgium, aye? That’s what Rat said?”

“Yeah, I think so,” Leigh nodded as she recalled the hacker saying something about dead clones in Wales and Belgium. She couldn't help feeling guilty about not grabbing their files to warn them.

“So if the killer is one of the others…Aryanna, or Danielle…or even that one in…Canada, was it?”

“Elizabeth Childs?” Leigh asked, eyebrows raised. “Yeah.”

“Well if the killer is any one of those, we can try and work out where they last were. If they were in Belgium recently, I suppose we’ll have our answer…”

“Yeah, good plan,” Leigh agreed. “Great, why do we have to rely on Rat for everything?”

“Do you have a better plan?” Aila asked.

Leigh didn’t reply, but just sighed and made her way towards the bathroom for a shower. Aila set Katja’s laptop aside, and blinked when she heard a muffled snore rise up from the pillow where the German woman had apparently fallen back to sleep. Aila shook her head and figured they could let her sleep a bit longer.

After Aila and Leigh showered, the doctor sat on the edge of the bed and lightly poked Katja’s shoulder. “Oi, Katja. Time to get up, love.” There was no response other than an irritable grunt from under the pillow.

“Katja, _get up,_ ” Leigh snapped a little more forcefully. “We’ve gotta talk to Rat about this property and some other stuff, and you’re the only one she’ll sort of listen to.”

“Yeah, and we ought to leave this place sooner rather than later,” Aila added. “So come on; we’ve got a busy day ahead.”

“Ja…I am up,” Katja responded quietly.

Aila and Leigh exchanged glances when Katja remained motionless under the blankets, her eyes still closed.

“ _KATJA!_ ” Leigh shouted. Katja jumped up quickly. She muttered under her breath in German, which only annoyed Leigh even further. “Just…hurry up; you’re gonna slow us down,” she complained.

As Katja forced herself out of bed and began gathering her things, Leigh and Aila quickly explained what they needed to talk to Rat about, including what the English and Scottish clones had discovered while Katja had been snoozing.

“Ja, ja,” Katja grumbled. “I vill shower quickly. Go ahead and start zee call vith Rat…I vill be back soon.”

Katja shuffled towards the bathroom, leaving Aila and Leigh with the laptop. Leigh shoved it towards Aila. “Well _I’m_ not doing it,” she huffed childishly.

“ _Honestly,_ Leigh,” Aila snapped.

“Well do you want me to bite her head off? Because this is the second morning in a row I haven’t had tea, and I swear I’ll only make things worse if I have to see her face this early on.”

“Her face is _your_ face,” Aila reminded her bitterly, eyebrows raised. “And _my_ face, and _Katja's_ face...”

“Oh, you know what I mean,” Leigh snapped. She got up to make sure all of their belongings were packed and ready for them to leave. “Katja better hurry up. I want out of here already.”

Aila made a mental note to get Leigh some tea when they stopped for breakfast. Honestly, _she’d_ been up half the night and hadn’t had any coffee yet, and _she_ wasn’t going around snapping at everyone. The doctor took a slow, calming breath, and took hold of the laptop to start up a video call with Rat.

After several minutes, there was no answer. Aila frowned and tried again, glancing at Leigh who was sitting nearby looking irritable. The doctor wondered what time it was where Rat lived, having no idea where exactly the hacker was located. Was she sleeping?

Finally, on the third try, the call was answered, and Aila’s assumptions proved correct as she took in the other clone’s exhausted face.

“What could you people _possibly_ need me for at seven in the pissing morning?” Rat grumbled. She had her head in her hands as she waited expectantly.

Aila frowned, but decided to get straight to the point. “We think the one who’s killing clones is also a clone,” she said, and Rat raised her head slightly, looking more interested now.

“Really? How do you figure that?” she asked, sounding genuinely curious as she booted up her other computers.

“From a news article that put my DNA on one of the non-clone bodies that I wasn’t anywhere around,” Aila explained, and when Rat looked like she was thinking of accusing her of something, the doctor quickly added, “and before you say it, you know full well I was in Germany and Austria when the killings in Wales and Belgium happened.”

Rat nodded, acknowledging the fair point. “Fine. What do you expect me to do about it? There are hundreds of us all over the world,” she said dryly.

Leigh cut in then. “Find out where Danielle Fournier and Aryanna Giordano were during the last two killings,” she said in that same matter-of-fact tone Rat often used.

Rat raised an eyebrow. “I’m sorry, was that an order? Because that sounded an awful lot like an order,” she shot, her voice dropping an octave in annoyance.

Aila cut in before Leigh had a chance to. “ _Please?_ We need to make sure we’re not walking right into the killer’s house.” She shot Leigh a look to warn her to let it go.

“And Elizabeth Childs,” Leigh said when she remembered the Canadian clone. “Please,” she added forcefully, biting her tongue.

“Elizabeth Childs?” Rat repeated. She began typing quickly, saying nothing for a moment or two. Then she looked back up at the camera. “She’s the one who lives in Canada.”

“I know that,” Leigh told her. She was trying to keep her voice controlled and cool so as to not annoy Rat more than she already had. “When I was searching for the other clones back at DYAD, those ones in Europe were the only ones I discovered, plus Elizabeth Childs. I know there were more, but I ran out of time and had to get out of there before I could access their files.”

“Yeah, well, if the killer is a clone, it could be any one around the world,” Rat said matter-of-factly.

“Yes, but if we’re planning to meet Elizabeth Childs too, we need to make sure she’s not the killer,” Leigh explained.

Rat nodded. “Right,” she agreed, and Leigh was thankful they finally saw eye to eye on something. She swallowed hard before debating her next words. If Rat had successfully hacked DYAD’s systems, it meant she had access to the files of clones all over the world; clones Leigh was unable to gather information on when she sabotaged DYAD back in London.

Just how many clones were there? It was proving hard enough to save the European clones, let alone others around the world. And now, with the possibility of the killer being a clone too, things were starting to feel hopeless.

“Thanks Rat,” Leigh said quietly and sincerely. She turned away from the laptop, running her hand through her hair. She wasn’t sure she was cut out for this.

Aila frowned at Leigh, not sure what to do to help. Were there really hundreds of them all over the world? How was any of this even possible? She’d heard of large-scale experiments before, but this was ridiculous. How many of them could they possibly warn before it was too late?

“Danielle Fournier has been competing in an ice-skating competition in Russia for the last week and isn’t due back in France until next Thursday,” Rat said calmly. “And Aryanna Giordano hasn’t left Italy as far as I can tell. Unless this data is incorrect, they aren’t your killers.”

Suddenly, something whined and barked, and Rat turned her attention from the laptop. “What?” she asked, any annoyance on her features slowly ebbing away as she looked at whatever had made the noise. She looked back at the screen. “I’ve gotta go take the dog for her morning piss. When I get back, I’ll look around for any clones that have been reported to engage in violent behavior. I'll call back later on.”

Leigh simply nodded, though she wasn’t sure if Rat noticed; she seemed too distracted by the dog in her presence. The hairdresser barely listened as Aila and Rat said goodbye and ended the call for the time being, and then waited for Katja to finish getting ready so they could make a move for Switzerland.

\--

Two incredibly long and difficult weeks passed since Leigh, Aila and Katja left the hotel in Austria and made their way to Switzerland. With Rat’s advice, the team of clones managed to buy a property, and Leigh even convinced the hacker to access her bank account to give them more funds. Katja was always happy to help by using her savings wherever necessary, but at last, Leigh felt as though she could be more useful now Rat had safely recovered her money for her.

Leigh and Aila were nervous and edgy about their new house at first, both choosing to stay indoors as often as possible out of fear DYAD would come knocking, or even the killer for that matter. Katja, however, took it upon herself to find directions to the nearest stores, and was usually the one to go out with shopping lists and return later with much needed supplies of food, drinks, and any other items the trio needed to survive and live comfortably.

Being in regular contact with a hacker was proving to be useful, however difficult Leigh found it to admit. Rat was able to search for and provide information on any news DYAD had on the hairdressers’ whereabouts and recent actions, and so far, the organisation appeared to be struggling to pinpoint Leigh’s location, and Aila and Katja’s for that matter. Leigh could only hope Katja’s family was safe back in Germany.

“Don’t vorry about it,” Katja would dismiss Leigh’s concerns whenever she tried to discuss it with the clones. “My family, zey are strong. I do not see much of zem zese days anyway. It is perfectly believable zat zey vould not know vhere I am or vhat I am up to.”

It was the first time Leigh managed to spare a thought for her own family back in London. She had no idea if DYAD were giving them a hard time about what was happening, but Leigh constantly assured herself they had no reason to suspect or harm her mother and father in any way. She hadn’t told them anything. They were blameless in all of this.

Meanwhile, Aila was dealing with her own concerns. Once the clones were settled into their new ‘home’, they were able to slow down and allow the effects of the recent events to catch up with them. Aila was worried of the murder she was accused of, however hard she tried to hide it. Leigh couldn’t blame her. How long was it going to be before authorities caught up with them?

Janika had got in touch shortly after they arrived in Switzerland. She didn’t tell them much about the situation with Selena, but assured them she had things under control, and promised to keep in regular contact.

So far, the Austrian clone had been true to her word. It brought everyone great relief whenever the blue-haired woman appeared on webcam to let them know she was still alive and functioning as normally as was possible for her. To ensure maximum security, the women sent Janika another phone identical to their own; Katja had purchased them after deciding she could do with one herself, too.

Leigh wasn’t convinced Janika would remain safe. The killer clone could show up at her home at any time. She had found the others easily enough, so Leigh couldn’t understand why Janika refused to go into hiding.

The entire situation was making Leigh more paranoid by the day, and she only started to realise it when Aila pointed out the hairdresser’s new bad habit.

“Seriously, you’ve been staring out that window for hours on end for the last three days,” she told Leigh carefully. “What are you looking for? Rat said this area is DYAD free. She’ll let us know if it changes; remember what she said? Whenever DYAD knows something, she does too. I’m sure she’ll know if they _do_ something, such as set up base close to where we are, too.”

Leigh only grumbled in agreement. She knew Aila was right. This paranoia wasn’t going to help, and in any case, they still had work to do.

“Fuck’s sake,” she groaned tiredly one Saturday evening while slouched over Katja’s laptop. “I’ve been trying to get in touch with this Danielle Fournier for the last three days, but she’s not responding at _all_.”

“Aye, well she’s a busy sportswoman, isn’t she?” Aila tried to reason, shrugging. “I’m surprised she’s online anywhere at _all_.”

“She won’t even answer her phone,” Leigh sighed. She had Danielle’s file on the desk before her. “I’m just worried, you know? If she’s so popular, she’ll be easy for the killer clone to track. I’m surprised she hasn’t taken her out already, to be honest.”

“Maybe the popularity is making it harder for the killer?” Aila offered. “Maybe it’s hard to get close to her? She’s gotta have a ton of security, right?” she said, thinking about it. It’d make sense that it would be difficult to get someone that popular alone, or at least in an area where taking a shot would be easy.

Leigh grunted and flopped onto the sofa, feeling restless. Aila eyed her evenly for a moment. “In any case, I don’t think it’s healthy to be standing in front of windows and pacing around all day every day. You’re going stir-crazy,” she said, standing and making her way towards the front door.

“Where are you going?” Leigh asked, tilting her head.

“Outside,” Aila said simply as she opened the door. “I figure if Katja can go out every day and be just fine, then it’s safe enough. I haven’t gone for a run in weeks. You’re welcome to join me if you like,” she added, leaving the offer open as she stepped outside to breathe in the cool evening air.

This place was very beautiful. It was almost dream-like, with flowing green hills and a purple-pink sky dotted with white clouds. The town of Appenzell was starting to become more illuminated as night rolled in.

The clones were within walking distance of the town, but still far enough away that they were reasonably isolated, and they could see for miles around the green hillside. Even though they were still in very real danger, the doctor felt entirely at peace in this moment as she looked out over the hills.

After a few minutes, a reluctant Leigh shuffled into view from the front door. She felt as though she hadn’t seen natural light in weeks, and she shielded her face as she stepped outside. Aila spun around to watch her.

“Sod it, you’re right,” Leigh shrugged, staring down at her own shoes. “I’m letting it restrict me too much. Can’t say I’ve ever gone running before, but how hard can it be?”

Aila smiled. “Suppose we’ll find out. You sure?”

“Yeah,” Leigh grinned. She closed the door and locked it, and began jogging on the spot, causing Aila to laugh. “Stay indoors any longer and I’ll turn into a friggin' vampire like Janika. Let’s run!”

Leigh sprinted off at full speed away from the house. Aila stared after her. “Do you even know where you’re going?” she laughed.

“No!” Leigh called back over her shoulder. “Just wherever!”

Aila grinned and raced after her, catching up easily from being used to running every day. She was used to running every morning and every evening before she’d been dragged into this whole mess.

The doctor smiled, feeling immensely happy as she ran, feeling the cool air flow across her face and through her hair. For a moment, she forgot about everything that’d been weighing them down as she ran across the paths and the grass.

Surprisingly, Leigh was able to match her for quite a while before they gradually slowed down, laughing at nothing as they did. Both women were grinning widely as they slowed to a walk, looking around the grassy hills. It felt great to be outside without worrying about what might be lurking around every corner.

“That was fun,” Aila said, giggling. “I forgot how much I love running.”

“I forgot how much I…I need to join a gym,” Leigh gasped, out of breath. She was unable wipe the smile off her face. “God, you make me look like a right lazy arse. Most exercise I ever got was walking to the salon for work or chasing Rachel around the corridors at DYAD when we were young.” Leigh laughed to herself at the memory.

“Hey you did well to keep up!” Aila assured her, still grinning. “You’ve done friggin' well to get us as far as you have done. If you didn’t go to Scotland and get in touch-”

“Don’t,” Leigh asked her. She shook her head. “Really. I can’t think about what might’ve happened. Still turns my blood cold at the memory of it…”

“Yeah,” Aila agreed darkly, shivering a bit. “God, we were doing so well not to mention anything cloney,” she laughed.

Leigh laughed too. “Where’d Katja go anyway? Wonder what she’s up to.”

“Dunno,” Aila shrugged, walking across the grassy hillside. “I think she said something about going into town for something,” she said, glancing over at the town that was now fully illuminated in a yellow glow as the area steadily grew darker. The doctor smiled and sat on the grass, looking up as the stars just barely became visible. “This is a nice place. Never in a million years would I have dreamed of ending up in a place like this, even temporarily. Glasgow was so noisy and bright. There was never a chance to lie on the grass and see the stars.” Aila lay back fully on the hillside, still gazing at the sky.

Leigh nodded. “Yeah, it was like that in London too.” There were so few clouds that she had a feeling that the stars would be clear tonight.

After a while, Leigh found herself lying back too. Neither clone spoke or around twenty minutes as the night grew darker, and the stars brightened. Leigh almost felt completely alone for a while as she became lost in her own mind, with nothing but the sky above surrounding her.

“I’ve never done anything like this,” she admitted eventually when she pulled herself back to reality. “It’s weird…just…how different everything is now.”

“Aye,” Aila agreed quietly.

More silence followed. If it wasn’t for the slight chill that was filling the night air, Leigh might have quite comfortably dozed off.

“Do you miss anybody back home?” Aila asked out of the blue.

Leigh glanced at her. “Yeah. Really, it’s just my parents…I have friends, but nobody I’m particularly close to.”

“Don’t you ever feel the need to make contact with your parents? Let them know not to worry?”

“Of course, but it’s too risky. DYAD will know if I do. The safest thing is to tell my parents nothing…that way they can’t be used.”

“True,” Aila nodded.

Leigh bit her lip, still staring at the stars. It was amazing how clear and bright they were out here. “You never spoke about your monitor…about Josh,” she dared to say. “I’m so sorry, Aila. If he was your friend, it must still really hurt…”

Aila sighed. “Aye…he was, and yeah...I never would have believed it…I almost wonder why he did it. What they had on him, and if he was ever really my friend, or if it was all just pretend.”

Leigh frowned but said nothing. She was never _too_ close to her own monitor, and briefly wondered what had happened to him now he’d failed to keep an eye on her.

“What about yours?” Aila asked. “Did you know who it was?”

“Yeah,” Leigh said with a nod. “He was nice enough, but he was a junkie. DYAD was bribing him with keeping his habit a secret in exchange for his services.”

“Wow,” Aila said darkly with a frown. “They really will do anything, won't they…” she trailed off, remembering what Selena had told them as well. She wondered how many monitors even knew about the clones.

The two fell back into a comfortable silence again, both thinking about their own pasts with DYAD. Was there anything they wouldn’t do to keep things under control?

“We should probably head back. Don’t want Katja to get back and wonder where we are,” Leigh said, standing up and offering the doctor a hand. Aila smiled and took it, standing and brushing the stray pieces of grass off of her clothes.

“Katja?” Aila called lightly when the two arrived home, wondering if the German woman was back yet.

“Upstairs!” Katja’s voice called from somewhere above them. “Hold on.”

The German appeared on the top landing dressed in comfortable pyjamas. She carried her laptop with both hands as she made her way down the stairs.

“Hallo,” she greeted the others. “I have been speaking vith Rat.”

“Oh,” Leigh said simply. She watched as Katja set the laptop down on the dining room table. Rat’s face greeted them from the screen.

“Just checking how you’re all doing,” Rat explained, clearly taking note of the tone of Leigh’s voice. “I was just letting Katja know a bit more about some of the others you’re planning to meet. Elizabeth Childs is a cop; she never left Canada around the time you lot all met each other, so I highly doubt she’s the killer.”

“Right,” Leigh said, nodding.

“And as for Aryanna,” Rat continued, looking as though she was reading something carefully on the screen. “The Italian? She’s a mute. I thought you should all know before you try to make contact with her.”

“Mute?” Aila asked, surprised. “What happened to her?”

“She was in a car accident when she was five. A really bad one,” Rat said, reading off of a screen. “Her vocal chords were badly damaged. She hasn’t spoken a word since. Do any of you know sign language?” she asked.

“Um…” Leigh said, looking around at the others, who both shook their heads.

“Well we’ll figure that out when the time comes,” Rat said dismissively as she scrolled through the database. “As for other clones known for being violent, none of them have left their home countries in the last few weeks, as far as I can tell. Many of them aren’t even in Europe, and the worst one is currently in prison.”

Leigh nodded. “So we’re still at square one,” she sighed.

Rat shrugged and nodded. “I suppose. There’s not much else I can do. There’s no clones that I can see that have followed the travel pattern that coincides with the killings. So it’s likely one of three things; she’s really good, she’s unmonitored, or we’re completely on the wrong track.”

“Then this killer could be absolutely anywhere, and we have no clue where,” Aila concluded.

“Mhmm,” Rat said with another nod. “Look, I’ll update you as and when I know more myself, OK? If you don’t mind, Katja and I were in the middle of discussing other things.”

“Other things?” Leigh repeated.

“Never you mind,” Rat told her strictly. “Katja…could we?”

“Ja,” Katja nodded. She picked up the laptop again and hurried to the staircase. “Later,” she said to Leigh and Aila before disappearing into her room.

Leigh frowned. Whatever Rat was keeping from them, she wasn’t sure she even wanted to know.

Aila watched them leave and sighed, stretching out on the sofa. She figured she should probably try to sleep, though she didn’t know how well that’d work out. Her nightmares had been getting worse recently, and she knew it was only a matter of time before one of the others noticed and said something.

She wondered if there was a way to subtly put in some type of soundproofing in her room so she didn’t disturb the others again. Even though she said she’d tell them about her… problem…they’d been so busy getting everything set up that it never really crossed her mind to do so. The doctor glanced down the hall towards her room and debated between going in and waiting until the others had gone to sleep before trying it.

Leigh, who had automatically started pacing again, ran her hand through her hair several times. “Suppose we can try Danielle again tomorrow. Either that or we attempt Aryanna instead. What do you reckon?” she asked Aila.

“Yeah,” Aila responded, still staring down the hall at her own bedroom door. “Yeah…”

Leigh shifted towards the living room window after nodding at the doctor’s response and carefully pulled back the curtain. Her eyes swept over the land before her for a moment or two before she snapped herself out of it, quickly closed the curtain, and forced herself back to the middle of the room.

She briefly wondered how Rachel would react to all of this. If she was here right now; if Leigh had convinced her to join in and help, what would she suggest? Rat would hate Rachel for sure…she could barely tolerate Leigh. The hairdresser couldn’t imagine the hacker’s reaction to another clone who was steadily advancing to running the organisation she so clearly despised.

“I’m going to bed,” Leigh spoke with a sigh. “Night Aila.”

“Goodnight,” Aila replied. She waited until Leigh disappeared upstairs, and then slowly rose from the sofa. The doctor checked a final time all the doors and windows were locked, and reluctantly retreated to her room.


	8. Chapter 7

“Effing Katja and her effing cookies,” Leigh grumbled a few days later. She and Aila were wandering around their new town after deciding to take a day out. Katja stayed home, but made a point to tell the clones she required a very specific brand of cookies from a very specific bakery. Leigh and Aila had been waiting for at least twenty minutes to be served, only to be told the flavour Katja wanted was unavailable.

“Pfft,” Aila shrugged as they walked out onto the street. Leigh irritably placed the bag of alternative cookies she’d chosen for Katja into her rucksack before swinging it over her shoulder.

“If she doesn’t like these, I swear I’m gonna…” Leigh trailed off. Aila simply ignored her. If Katja wasn’t going to eat them, she would instead. It was a waste of money otherwise.

“So where to now?” Aila asked.

Leigh shrugged. “Dunno. Wasn’t looking for anything in particular, to be honest. Just needed to get out of that house for a bit.”

“Mhm,” Aila agreed.

The women looked into various shops before deciding to stop at a small café for lunch. The sun was bright, and the day was warm, so they chose a table outside to enjoy the fresh air while they waited for their food to arrive.

Aila smiled. “This really is a pretty town, isn’t it?” she commented, watching as the townsfolk went about their business, many enjoying the nice day.

“Yeah,” Leigh responded with a nod as she gazed at the old buildings.

The town reminded Leigh a bit of the smaller towns in the English countryside. Her eyes travelled along the rows of shops, before she paused, noticing something. Ducked into an alleyway between two shops was a person in a thick black coat, who seemed to be staring right at her. It was a middle-aged man with a dark beard, long hair and a moustache. Leigh raised an eyebrow, but before she could say anything, the man vanished further into the alley.

Aila noticed Leigh staring at something and blinked. “What’s up?” she asked, slightly concerned as she looked around.

“Nothing,” Leigh said with a shake of her head. She was probably just being paranoid.

Aila looked unconvinced, but shrugged and smiled when their food arrived. The doctor smiled at the aroma of her food, a black-bean burger with chips and pickles, along with a glass of ice-water. She wasted no time in diving into it.

Leigh began eating her lunch when it arrived, but stopped when the mystery man caught her eye again. When she hadn’t been looking, he must have exited the alley and perched himself on the edge of the brick wall by a patch of grass opposite the café. He did not look back at Aila and Leigh; at least not while Leigh was paying him any attention, but the hairdresser found herself feeling too uneasy to finish her food.

“Not like you to waste a good meal,” Aila noted, observing her. “You feeling OK?”

Leigh did not respond. She stared past Aila at the strange man. He was now looking directly at her, and Leigh couldn’t decide how to read his expression. She gripped her fists together tightly and fought the urge to shout obscenities at him from across the street.

Aila raised an eyebrow and glanced over her shoulder, but didn’t see anyone. “What are you staring at?” she asked, looking back at Leigh.

“There was someone there, but he ran off,” Leigh said, keeping her eyes on the spot where the man had been.

Aila blinked. “There are a lot of people around,” she pointed out.

Leigh shook her head. “This guy was dressed weirdly and kept staring at us…” she said, though she realised she probably sounded paranoid.

Aila just stared at her, beginning to feel a bit uneasy as well. Was someone really watching them? Or was Leigh just being overly cautious? The doctor paid the bill for their food and stood. “Well we’d better move in case you’re right. Should we stay out or head home?”

“Anything else you need to get while we’re out?” Leigh asked. Aila shook her head. “I’d like to head back then.”

“Sure,” Aila agreed.

They began making their way home; Leigh looking over her shoulder every few minutes to check they weren’t being followed. Aila began to think Leigh really was only being paranoid, because everything seemed ordinary to her. She became even more convinced of this once they arrived home and Leigh hurried straight up to her room to sit by the window and stare out over the land.

Aila shook her head when she too made her way up the stairs and spotted Leigh through the door frame. The hairdresser was barely moving. Aila considered speaking up before a curious Katja opened her own bedroom door and peeked out, having heard Leigh and Aila's footsteps up the stairs.

“Hallo. Did you get my cookies?”

Aila reached for Leigh's rucksack sitting just inside her room. She took out the bag of cookies and tossed them at Katja. “They were all out of the ones you wanted, hopefully these’ll taste fine just the same.” Aila looked into Leigh's room again as she dumped the rucksack back inside. “Leigh thinks she saw someone staring at us when we were out today, but I didn’t see anything unusual,” she added, deciding Katja should know to keep an eye out. “She said it was a guy who was dressed weirdly, but didn’t say much else.”

The doctor glanced over again to see Katja looking displeased with the cookies, and she fought the urge to roll her eyes. “Did you hear a word of that?”

“Ja, Katja nodded, putting the cookies back in the bag. “I vill keep eye out.”

Aila nodded and made her way back downstairs. She wanted to go back outside, but it was  safer to stay put for now. If anyone was coming up the path, they clones would see them before they got close.

\--

The day passed quickly. At some point, Leigh wandered down the stairs to get dinner, but then resumed her window-staring activities immediately after, this time choosing to stand in front of the living room one with the curtains open. Whenever she willed herself to move away to distract herself, she would jump straight back at the slightest sound or movement coming from outside.

“It’s just zee _vind_ , Leigh,” Katja grumbled irritably. She was sitting on the sofa with the laptop on her knee, while her bag of cookies lay open on the coffee table before her. Aila had been helping herself to them. Katja had eaten one, and rejected the others, which led to a disagreement between her and the doctor about wasting good food and buying her own next time if she couldn’t trust Aila and Leigh to get the right ones.

After a while, Aila attempted to coax Leigh away from the window with alcohol. Leigh  accepted a few beers, but once again returned to the window, where she was now sitting on the sill, hugging her knees, with her forehead against the glass. Aila wondered if she might fall asleep there.

“ _Leigh!_ ” she snapped angrily later on. This was really getting quite annoying. “You’ve been sitting there for nearly five hours! Honestly, just give it a rest!”

Leigh huffed miserably and took a swig of beer. Five more empty bottles lay scattered on the large windowsill at her feet. In her drunken state, Leigh managed a sad giggle. “Rachel…Rachel…I blame Rachel,” she explained poorly. “Shit, I’m turning into Rachel…”

“Rachel’s not here, Leigh…and I think you’ve had enough,” Aila said, eyeing all the empty bottles on the ground. “Unless you’re planning on sleeping there, give it a rest. There’s nobody out there. I think we would have heard about it if DYAD had sent someone here.”

With a grumble, Leigh tried to get up, but ended up misjudging the distance to the floor and  fell off of her post. She hit the floor with a hard smack and cracked one of the bottles open on her hand.

“ _FUUUUUUCK!_ ” Leigh screeched, and Aila quickly got up to look over the bleeding cuts on her palm.

The doctor sighed wearily. “Clever. Come on, let’s head to the bathroom so I can take a look,” she said, instinctively tapping into her A&E training. She helped haul Leigh to her feet, making sure the hairdresser didn’t step in the broken glass.

Katja simply watched them, unmoving, only allowing her eyes to follow them to the stairs as they headed for the bathroom. When they were out of sight, the German turned her attention back to her laptop.

“What the HELL is going on over there, or don’t I want to know?” questioned the clone she was currently in a video call with.

“Dunno, Rattyrat,” Katja responded, blinking slowly. “Zese clones, zey are crazy.”

\--

Aila sighed and looked over the cuts under the bright bathroom lights, reaching into a first aid kit as she cleaned them. Leigh winced and muttered but didn’t try to fight, and Aila was thankful for the alcohol that was likely making the pain seem less than it would be when she sobered up. She’d cleaned up most of the blood, and was currently slowly and carefully extracting the small shards of glass wedged into the cuts.

“This is going to hurt,” she warned Leigh, before carefully cleaning out the now glass-free wounds.

“Oooooooow, stings like a _bitch_ ,” Leigh winced. She fought the urge to pull her hand away from Aila, but clenched her other hand into a fist.

“Well, that’s what you get for getting yourself drunk.”

“It was _you_ who got me drunk,” Leigh challenged her, raising her eyebrows.

Aila rolled her eyes slightly. “I thought it’d make you relax a bit, not make you injure yourself on glass…”

Leigh huffed, but continued rambling as if the doctor had never spoken. “This…this never happens to Rachel. Rachel…she can drink way more than this and still be a robot…all perfect, you know? Why’s she so great, anyway…how the hell does she _do it…_ ”

Aila watched her for a moment or two as she finished cleaning the wound. “What’s the deal with this Rachel, anyway?” she asked before she could stop herself. “You mention her quite a bit.”

Leigh huffed, shrugged, and forced a false laugh. “Rachel’s everything a clone _should_ be, according to _her,_ anyway,” she muttered, looking slightly cross-eyed now. “Nah…I dunno. Maybe she wouldn’t be like that if…never mind. Bad shit happened to her. I never really…well…figured her out. But hell…I wouldn’t be here with you and Katja today if it wasn't for Rachel…I dunno…maybe she does sort of care, in her own messed up way.”

Aila frowned as she listened to Leigh. She now knew for a fact that this Rachel was another clone, and if she was in England like Leigh, why wasn’t she targeted by the killer? It seemed odd, but she knew Leigh wasn’t in the right state of mind to answer any questions.

The doctor put on an anti-bacterial ointment and carefully wrapped the bandages in gauze, securing them with medical tape. “There. You should be fine. I’ll check it over again periodically to change the bandages out and make sure it's not getting infected. It’ll probably hurt a whole lot more in the morning, though you can take regular painkillers for it when you’ve sobered up a bit.”

“Cheers…” Leigh said, looking over her now wrapped hand before leaning back and sighing. “I miss Rachel…”

Aila nodded. “Maybe you could call her or something?” she offered, though Leigh snorted and shook her head.

“Can’t do, she’d drag us all back to DYAD…she friggin' _embraces_ everything they have going on,” she explained, and Aila nodded in understanding. Leigh frowned to herself as she stared at her bandaged hand. “I spent the last ten or so years wishing she’d shut up and leave me alone, so I shouldn’t miss her.” She bit her lip before speaking again, in a near whisper. “So then why do I miss her?”

Aila remained quiet, and slowly shrugged. She couldn’t answer that for her.

\--

It wasn’t long before Aila and Leigh joined Katja again downstairs, who was still chatting away to Rat. Aila beckoned for Leigh to sit on the sofa, and then disappeared to make tea. Leigh sighed, curled up on the end of the sofa, and hugged her knees.

“Zee drunken clone has returned,” Katja informed Rat.

“Oh God,” Rat responded.

Leigh eyed the laptop on Katja’s knee. “You’re talking to Rat?” she mumbled sleepily. “Ugh, I’m scared to know what you’ve been saying about me.”

“Nothing, beyond the fact you’re drunk and you've injured your hand,” Rat said curtly, leaning back in her chair. “Katja wishes for us to speak and attempt to bond, though I hardly think now’s an appropriate time. To be honest, I fail to see the point of such an exercise regardless…”

“Aw, you know you could use more friends,” Katja said, looking at the computer and receiving a sharp glare in return.

“I have no need or desire for friends. Only allies,” Rat muttered, and Leigh gave her a disbelieving look before shaking her head.

Katja didn’t seem to take offence though, and merely smiled. “Vhatever you say Rattyrat,” she said, stretching.

“Like I wanna be friends with a rodent anyway,” Leigh whispered to herself, but from the accusing stare and raised eyebrows Katja gave her, she was sure the German heard. “I’m going to bed,” the hairdresser added, standing up and crossing the room to the stairs.

Neither Katja nor Rat said goodnight; they simply allowed her to go. Katja watched Leigh stumble and drag herself back up the stairs, only to turn her head to see Aila enter the room from the kitchen moments later. She was carrying a mug of hot tea she had made for the English clone, looking confused and slightly annoyed at Leigh’s sudden absence.

\--

Aila sighed, looking out at the landscape as thunder cracked and boomed above. Though it was still fairly early, it was raining hard, and Aila wondered if they might lose power. She’d gotten out some candles just in case, and sat in the chair beside the window with a cup of strong coffee.

It was just before seven in the morning when the doctor heard footsteps and glanced over, expecting Leigh. She'd noticed that if Katja didn’t have to wake up early, she liked to sleep in for as long as possible. Another loud crack of thunder echoed from overhead, making the lights flicker as it did.

Aila then noticed that nobody had bothered to clean up the blood and glass on the floor, and decided to do it herself before anyone else got hurt. She also picked up and washed out the intact, empty beer bottles.

Leigh rubbed an eye as she came into view. She sighed heavily, watching as Aila finished cleaning up the mess. “Shit, Aila,” she groaned guiltily. “I would have done it. You shouldn’t have to clean my mess up.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Aila replied with a yawn. “How’s the hand?”

Leigh flexed her bandaged hand, stretching her fingers and glancing at her palm. It was very sore, but she shrugged. “Not too bad. Thanks, by the way.”

“It’s fine,” Aila told her. “So how come you’re up so early?”

“Could ask you the same,” Leigh said with a grin.

Aila stood up straight and crossed over the window. “Friggin’ storm woke me,” she told Leigh with a sigh. “Suppose we’ll all be staying in today.”

“Yeah, don’t fancy venturing out in _that_ if it’s gonna stick around. We could do with trying Danielle or Aryanna again, anyway. Or maybe start to think about paying them a visit. I feel like we’ve been hanging around here long enough.”

Aila nodded. “Yeah, could do. We need to be smart about how we approach Danielle though. She’s bound to have a ton of security. Aryanna should be easier to approach. I think she works at some kinda spa or something, but we have no way to communicate with her.” Aila wandered into the kitchen as she spoke. “I saved the tea I made for you last night before you vanished. Just need to heat it up.” The doctor retrieved the covered cup of tea from the fridge before putting it on the counter. She leaned against the door frame and sipped at her coffee as the lights flickered again. “Hope we don’t lose power, but I got out some candles just in case.”

Leigh snorted and grinned in amusement as Aila reheated the tea, and then passed her the cup. “You really _saved tea?_ ” she asked with a laugh.

Aila rolled her eyes. “I don’t believe in letting things go to waste if you can help it, Leigh,” she explained, darkly glancing at a half-eaten cookie Katja had left on the kitchen surface. “Besides, it’ll taste just the same.”

“Yeah,” Leigh shook her head and took a sip anyway. It wasn’t that bad. “Cheers Aila.”

\--

“ _What?_ I…you…again...”

Katja turned away from the laptop screen and looked up at Aila, pulling a confused face. “I cannot understand a vord she is saying,” she complained, shrugging.

Aila glanced out of the kitchen window. Any second now, they were going to lose power; she were sure of it. “I’m surprised you have internet access at _all_ at the moment,” the doctor responded. She pulled up a chair and focused on the laptop. Rat’s face was frozen on the screen, and she currently couldn’t be heard.

“I can’t hear you, Katja!” Rat’s voice bellowed after another few minutes of struggling.

“Well we can hear you, big gob,” Leigh mocked as she sat up straight on the sofa. She watched closely as the clones attempted to communicate.

“VE ARE JUST LETTING YOU KNOW VE VILL CONTACT ARYANNA NEXT,” Katja spoke loudly.

Aila covered her right ear and glared at the German. “Volume isn’t the issue!” she told Katja off, who shrugged and fiddled with her sunglasses. “Rat, hang on! We’ll call you back in a bit!”

Aila ended the call, sighed, and looked around at Leigh in exasperation. Almost immediately, however, Rat began calling again, and Katja didn’t hesitate to answer.

“What’s even the point?” Leigh moaned, rubbing her face. “Friggin’ storm’s making this impossible…”

Just then, the lights cut out completely, plunging the three in darkness, minus the dim light from the windows and the light from Katja’s laptop as it switched onto battery. The German woman looked displeased, but said nothing as she shut the computer off.

Aila silently put candles up in the rooms that didn’t have windows, illuminating the house in a dim orange light as the storm raged on. From outside, the doctor noticed the rain pouring heavier by the minute. “Jesus, some storm,” she mused. “Even the non-stop rain back in the UK doesn’t match up to this. Hopefully it passes soon.”

“Yeah,” Leigh agreed, looking out the window as lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating the soaked hills.

\--

Just after midday, the storm subsided, and light rain continued to fall over the land. Leigh had taken the opportunity to visit the town. Katja had discovered they were running low on toiletries and insisted somebody go out for them.

Leigh was slightly irritable that they didn’t think to buy these things the previous day while she and Aila were out, but still, the cool, fresh air was pleasant as she hurried across the field to make her way to town. She spent the walk daydreaming and thinking, and sure enough, she found she completed her task of shopping fairly quickly.

Then, when Leigh made it to the outskirts of the town to walk home, things changed.

The strange man she'd seen watching her and Aila the previous day stepped out in front of her from behind the last building on the street. Leigh didn’t notice him at first; she was busy reading something on her phone and almost walked into him. It wasn’t until the man’s blurry figure caught her eye that she stepped back, pushed back her hood, and looked directly at him.

He looked as though he was aging; his face was lined with wrinkles and creases, and his dark hair was thinning. His eyes were wide with either alarm or madness; Leigh couldn’t decide which, and before she could snap out of her frozen state, he began speaking rapidly. 

“Ich kenne Sie,” he rushed, his voice deep, yet slightly raspy, “nicht ich? Bist du es?”

“Err,” Leigh managed, her own eyes wide with fear. She found herself almost running backwards; the man was getting far too close too quickly, and Leigh felt panic rise up in her chest. She turned to walk away quickly, but the man was faster; he cut in front of her and held out his arms so Leigh couldn’t get past. “Wrong person!” Leigh told him in a high voice.

“Sie Präsident Katja? Katja Obinger!”

Leigh’s mouth fell open in shock. So, she wasn’t being paranoid after all. Whoever this man was, he knew Katja…

“I don’t understand!” Leigh tried desperately to convince him. “I don’t speak German! _English!_ Wrong person!”

When she tried once more to escape him, the man reached out and grabbed her shoulder, desperate for her to understand. “Please,” he added, surprising Leigh with his ability to speak English too. “You must-”

But Leigh was beyond reasoning with at this stage; she turned around and threw a punch at the man’s face, and listened to him cry in outrage as he released her and she ran down the nearest side street she came across. Leigh continued to run, following the many twists and turns of the narrow alleys until she was sure she lost the mystery man.

Shaking slightly, Leigh fumbled around for her phone, and worried she might have dropped it, but she sighed in relief to discover she'd absently stuffed it into the pocket of her coat. Leigh called Aila’s number, biting her lip, waiting for the doctor to answer.

“Come on, come _on,_ ” Leigh whispered to herself.

\--

Aila glanced down at her phone as it started going off, confused to see Leigh’s name on the display. She clicked the button, though before she could say anything, Leigh started talking rapidly.

“ _HOLYSHITSOMEONEJUSTTHOUGHTIWASKATJA!_ ” the words came out loud and too fast to be made sense of.

“Woah, woah, slow down Leigh, and try again. What about Katja?” the doctor asked, confused. At the sound of her name, the German woman looked over and tilted her head, and Aila shrugged, listening to Leigh trying to catch her breath and speak slower.

“Someone just thought I was Katja!” Leigh said. “That guy from yesterday, I’m sure it was him. He approached me and specifically said her name _._ ”

Aila blinked, glancing over at the other clone who was watching her curiously. She put the phone slightly away from her face. “Have you made any friends here?”

“No?” Katja said, still looking confused. “Vhy?”

“Apparently someone thought Leigh was you, and specifically said your name,” Aila said, feeling uneasy.

“ _AILA?!_ ” Leigh’s voice shouted through the speaker, and the doctor quickly put the phone back to her ear.

“Yeah I’m still here, sorry. Are you OK? Did you get away from him?” she asked.

“I think so, for now. Friggin' socked him one and bolted. Shit, weren’t we supposed to have some kind of warning if someone was going to be here looking for us?” Leigh asked, sounding angry now.

“Calm down. We don’t even know if this guy is DYAD or not,” Aila tried to reason with her. “Just make sure you’re not being followed and get back here as soon as you can, OK?”

“Get Rat back online!” Leigh ordered. She most likely wouldn’t have come across as demanding if she was in a calmer state. “Seriously-”

“ _OK,_ ” Aila assured her, pulling at her own hair. “But you need to come back, _now_.”

“Yeah…yeah…I’m on my way,” Leigh responded in a more controlled voice before ending the call.

“Katja, we need your laptop,” Aila said immediately after putting down the phone. She explained to the German again what had happened, and Katja eventually agreed to let the doctor take the laptop so she could contact Rat.

“Oh, hello,” Rat greeted them sarcastically the moment she answered the call. As usual, she looked bored and distracted, apparently reading something on her screen. “Am I ever going to get a day of peace and quiet _without_ you lot calling me for whatever reason?”

“Something weird just happened,” Aila began to explain. “I think we need your help.”

\--

When Leigh came through the door, she wasted no time going straight for the laptop. Aila watched her, saying nothing as she glanced outside to make sure nobody else was coming up across the plains.

On the walk up to the house, the hairdresser had calmed down slightly, but she still wasn’t happy about the situation and wanted some type of explanation for the encounter.

Rat carried on doing what she had been before the call while waiting for Leigh. When the auburn-haired clone appeared, the hacker glanced at her briefly. “What do you want?”

“I thought you said you’d know if DYAD was here,” Leigh said flatly.

“I would, and they’re not,” Rat said, her tone echoing Leigh's, and her eyes narrowing in annoyance.

“Then why the hell is there someone following us?!” Leigh challenged. “Someone who specifically knew Katja’s name?!”

Rat raised an eyebrow. “According to the official records, the closest DYAD presence to your location is in Zurich, and they still haven’t been able to pinpoint your location. Your trail went cold after you left Austria. Whoever’s following you either isn’t DYAD, or isn’t doing it on the record. I can’t tell you much more than that until you get some kind of ID on him.”

Leigh huffed impatiently and threw her hands into the air. “So what, we go back out there and try to find him?”

“I never said that,” Rat shot coolly. “No, that would be dangerous considering we have no idea what he wants yet.”

“He wanted Katja; that much was obvious,” Leigh responded, turning to look at the German as she spoke.

Katja was looking a little uncomfortable now. “Maybe going to talk to him ez zee only option,” she suggested quietly with a shrug. Everyone stared at her.

“ _No,_ ” Rat told her strictly from the laptop screen. “Don’t be so _stupid_.”

“I have to agree with Rat,” Leigh muttered, nodding.

“So what,” Aila cut in now, “we just…carry on as normal?”

“Remember your main tasks are finding Aryanna and Danielle and warning them about this killer. As far as I can tell, there have been no more murders recently, so I don’t know where the killer is. Either one of them could be next; hell, even Janika if she’s made no effort to protect herself. You should probably get in touch with her and see how she’s doing,” Rat told them.

Leigh nodded, but still looked unhappy at the idea of having to ignore the situation.

“Vhat did he actually say?” Katja asked quietly, looking at Leigh, who shrugged.

“Hell if I know…itch-keen-see…somethingsomething; I don’t speak bloody German!” the British clone exclaimed. “Wasn’t exactly focusing too closely on that anyway, was I? More interested in getting away from the weirdo…”

“Useful,” Rat commented dryly.

Leigh looked down at the laptop, glaring venomously. She’d had just about enough of Rat's attitude. “At least I’m actually DOING something,” she snapped loudly. “All you ever do is sit on your bloody arse and make everyone else feel like shit!”

“Leigh!” Katja said sternly.

“What?! It’s bloody true! We’re the ones out here risking ourselves to do some good, and all that one does is _hide_ behind a friggin' screen all damn day!” Leigh carried on, her edginess and temper getting the better of her. Aila just watched quietly as things escalated.

Rat glared at Leigh, her expression rivalling Rachel’s in intensity. “Yes, because breaching a high-security government-enlisted corporation is _SO_ very easy,” she hissed. “I’d _love_ to watch _you_ attempt it one of these days.”

“Doesn’t change the fact you hide away in the dark and let everyone else do all the _REAL_ work,” Leigh carried on, her hands clenching into fists. “Quit hiding away like a pissing _coward_ and then come talk to me about being _useful!_ ”

Rat glared at Leigh darkly. “You know _nothing_ about me,” she said, her voice low and threatening.

“Yeah, I don’t,” Leigh shot back. “Even though you know every bloody pissing thing about _ALL_ of us, you get bitchy whenever _you_ have to spill information, and you talk to us like we're scum! How do we even know we can actually _trust_ you?! For all we know _YOU_ could be a friggin' spy, or hell, even the bloody killer!” she shouted, though she regretted the words as soon as they slipped past her lips.

Rat stared at the screen, her expression hard to read. She looked as though she’d just been slapped. The room became deathly silent then, and it felt as though everyone was holding their breath. After several minutes, the hacker’s expression settled into raw anger that almost edged on wounded, and she ended the call without a word.

After several minutes of uncomfortable silence, Katja fixed Leigh with a deep frown. “She ez our friend…vhat more do ve need to know?” she asked quietly.

Leigh grumbled. “No, she’s not. We’re just _allies_ remember? Not friends…”

\--

Most of the afternoon passed by in an uncomfortable silence. Despite her efforts, Katja couldn’t make contact with Rat again for the rest of the day.

As Leigh calmed down, she admittedly felt guilty about what she’d said, even if the hacker had been asking for it. Aila attempted to maintain a sense of peace around the house, but when that failed, she simply retreated to her room to look over maps of Italy.

It was just as the sky was darkening that Leigh glanced out the window and noticed a figure making its way up to the house, and her blood ran cold when she recognized the clothing as the man she’d met earlier that day.

“Oh _fuck me!_ ” she whispered before raising her voice. “Uh guys?! GUYS?! I think that creepy guy from earlier is coming here,” she said, panicking slightly. How had he found them? Leigh span on the spot two or three times before clumsily throwing herself to the foot of the stairs. “AILA!” she shouted.

“Aye, I heard! I…I’m in the bathroom, hang on-”

“What the hell; _what the hell?_ ” Leigh shrieked, grabbing her own hair in both hands.

“I can see him from my bedroom vindow!” Katja called from upstairs. Her door snapped open, and down came Katja at full speed, wearing a yellow onesie with a duck beak on the hood (Leigh took a moment to stare in disbelief before she realised now was not the time), and pushed past the hairdresser towards the front door.

“KATJA, WHAT THE HELL?” Leigh screamed after her. Katja could _not_ just go out there confronting the stranger, _especially_ not dressed the way she was.

“I vill see vat he vants!” Katja said simply before breaking into a sprint across the field.

“What’s she done _now?_ ” Aila’s voice asked loudly from the top of the stairs. Leigh waited anxiously for the doctor to join her, and when she did, she pointed after Katja, unable to explain. “Oh Jesus _Christ,_ ” Aila moaned, gathering up the courage to bolt outside after her. “ _KATJA!_ ”

As the clones approached him, the mysterious man stopped walking and just looked at them.

“Who are you?” Aila asked after a tense moment. “What do you _want_ with us?”

The man simply stared for a moment, and then allowed his eyes to travel from Katja, to Aila, to Katja again. His right eye was bruised, but nobody paid attention to that. Everyone looked incredibly shocked, including the mystery man.

All was quiet.

Then the man let out a short gasp and took a step back. He raised his hand and pointed at something behind the two women. “ _You! Her!_ ” he shouted, sounding alarmed.

Katja spun around. Leigh was slowly inching towards them, holding what appeared to be heavy looking saucepan at arm’s length. The hairdresser attempted to look threatening as she approached the group.

“Just…just leave us alone!” she began, her voice shaking slightly. “I’m warning you!”

“Please…I do not mean you any harm,” the man insisted, raising his hands over his head. Everyone watched as he knelt to the ground, showing his submissive side. “You are Katja. Katja Obinger.”

“No,” Leigh and Katja spoke together.

Katja frowned in confusion and took a step towards him. “ _I_ am Katja Obinger. Who are you? Vat do you vant?”

“And how did you _find us?_ ” Aila added. The doctor looked over at Leigh’s pan, and mentally smacked herself for not thinking to grab something too.

The man hesitated, his eyes darting between the clones as he kept his hands up in case they saw him as a threat. “My name ez Lucas Weiss. You all are in very real danger, I have come to vorn you,” he explained.

Leigh continued glaring at him. “Right now the only danger here is _you,_ ” she pointed out. “How the hell did you _find_ us?”

“Please, may vee go inside? It’s not safe out here. She may see…” Lucas asked, though he fell silent when both Leigh and Aila gave him seething glares.

“She? Who is _she_?” Leigh demanded. She gripped the pan a little tighter and raised it a little higher, as if preparing to strike the man with it if he dared to move.

Lucas flinched a little and shrunk back, gritting his teeth. “The von responsible for zee recent murders!” he exclaimed.

Another silence followed. Katja and Aila exchanged glances while Leigh continued staring down at Lucas, her frown deepening with both confusion and worry.

“S-so y-you’ve brought the killer right to our doorstep, yeah? That’s what you’re telling us?” Leigh squeaked angrily, but the man shook his head.

“No, no, you don’t understand,” he told her desperately. “Not zee killer, but zee one zee killer answers to; it ez complex, and I have answers for you-”

“Who said we asked you any questions?!” Leigh cut in.

“Please,” Lucas begged her, “please. She should not know zat I am here, speaking vith you all now, but if zere is a chance she comes looking, vee must be out of sight…please, I have been looking for Katja for a vhile…”

“Why Katja?” Aila asked in a calmer voice than Leigh could ever manage.

“I know zings…I know who zee killer is…I know _vhy_ she is killing…and ven I heard she vas coming after Katja, I…” Lucas whispered. He peered up at Aila, and then dared to look at Katja, who was staring down at the man, apparently realizing who he was before he even spoke the words.

“ _No,_ ” she whispered shortly, but sharply.

Lucas allowed his hands to hit the ground, and gripped chunks of grass with his fingers tightly. “I am _sorry_ , Katja,” he sounded genuine but desperate as he spoke. “I…I am your real father.”

“Are you bloody serious…” Leigh said, shocked as she lowered the pan slightly.

“Bleedin' hell…” Aila whispered, her eyes darting between the man on the ground and the clone standing beside her. This man was Katja’s dad? Was that even real? The doctor looked at Katja with wide eyes. “Didn’t you say your dad vanished when you were wee?”

“Ja,” Katja muttered curtly, her eyes narrowing slightly.

Aila had never seen them looking so cold before, and she didn’t know what she could do for her friend.

This was all getting to be too much.


	9. Chapter 8

“How…how can you be her real dad?” Aila asked a while later.

The clones had reluctantly agreed to allow Lucas into their house, but Leigh’s paranoia was worse than ever. She point blank refused to join everyone sitting at the table, and paced from window to window, all the while carrying the saucepan with no intention of putting it down.

Katja sat opposite Lucas with Aila by her side. It was the first time the German focused her entire attention on anything. She did not allow herself to become distracted by her laptop, and she sat completely still.

Lucas took a deep, steady breath. “I vas to be your father, Katja,” he began slowly and carefully. “Your mother…your real mother…she did not survive zee birth-”

“Ja,” Katja interrupted. “Zis I already know. Zen I vas adopted by zee Obinger family.”

“Yes,” Lucas whispered with a nod.

“How do we know this guy’s really her real dad anyway?” Leigh called crossly, still watching the world outside the window. “I don’t trust him.”

“You’re as bad as Rat; you don’t trust _anyone,_ ” Aila reminded her. Leigh tutted, rolled her eyes, and resumed her pacing.

“Please; I am trying to help,” Lucas spoke up. “I vas vorking for DYAD before your birth, Katja, as vas your mother. I vas double agent vith my partner, Maggie Chen. Vee vere given missions, you see…to spy and record information on an enemy organisation. Any of you…have you heard of zee Proletheans?”

“No,” the women responded together. Lucas gripped his hands together and swallowed hard before continuing.

“Zee Proletheans…zey are religious _extremists,_ ” he explained. “Zey oppose science; you clones are an abomination in zeir eyes-”

“So you knew your daughter was a clone right from the start?” Aila asked.

Lucas sighed, but nodded. “Ja, but I knew I could not keep you, Katja…you see…zese missions, zey vere dangerous. Maggie and I, vee became accepted as Proletheans, but Maggie, she became _lost_. Zey brainwashed her, and she became one of zem for real.”

Lucas paused a moment to allowed Katja to absorb this information.

“If I had kept you, you vould have been in danger. Zey vanted to correct vat zey saw as an abomination; take out all zee clones. It was either give you up to a safe family, or rid you from this vorld myself, in order to redeem myself in zee eyes of zee Proletheans. Zee Proletheans _never_ knew you vere my daughter, Katja. I made you safe.”

“So…” Leigh began, slowly turning away from the window at last to watch Lucas. “You decided doing DYAD’s dirty work of spying on these nutters was more important than raising your own daughter.”

“Von does not escape DYAD’s clutches so easily,” Lucas explained pitifully. “I did vhat I zought vas best for Katja. She deserved only happiness…”

Katja chewed her lip and pushed back her chair. As she stood up and silently, slowly made her way to the staircase, Leigh was sure she saw a glint of a tear in her eye before she raced up the stairs to her room.

Aila frowned and stood. She started to follow her, but hesitated and sat back down, looking concerned. She figured she should allow the other woman some time, and she could check up on her in a little bit. She turned back to Lucas, fidgeting her hands a bit. “So you’re DYAD…” she said, more to herself than him. She was definitely wary of this man now. She  looked at Leigh uneasily, who was still clutching the pan for dear life.

“Yes…” Lucas said, sounding a bit awkward about it. “If need be, zey could offer protection-”

“HELL NO,” Leigh boomed, taking Lucas by surprise as he shrunk back down in his seat.

Aila cleared her throat. “You were going on about the killer. Talk to us about that,” she said. “Is she another clone?”

Lucas looked between Aila and Leigh. “I do not know...I have never met her in person, but I know zat her name is Helena. From vat I have heard, zee Proletheans…zey kidnapped her from a convent in Ukraine ven she vas just a little girl. Maggie and Tomas trained Helena to be a killer…abused her greatly. Zat girl is practically feral, from what I have heard. She’s beyond help now, I believe…”

“Tomas?” Aila asked.

Lucas nodded. “Ja, he’s one of zee higher ups. He’s Helena’s direct guardian, and Maggie is her handler out in zee field. Maggie seeks clones out through records she stole from DYAD, and Helena kills zem.”

Nobody spoke for a few minutes. Leigh finally lowered the pan, crossed the room to the sofa, and sat down. She took a moment to rub her forehead before lowering her hand and looking back over at Aila and Lucas.

“So how did you find us, then?” she asked at last.

“I vas…I vas already keeping a close eye on Katja. I knew it vas a matter of time before she vas targeted, and I offered to go to Germany to confirm her location for Maggie. However, my real intention vas to _varn_ Katja of the dangers. I had to varn her adoptive family, and so I did. Katja had already spoken to zem. Zey told me vere I could find her.”

A pause.

“Wait, Katja _told_ her family we were _here?_ ” Leigh asked, aghast.

Lucas nodded. “Ja. Katja and her family…zey have great faith in each other. Zey do not have secrets, and zey vill _not_ betray you. _Any_ of you.”

“Jesus Christ,” Aila breathed. She absently clawed at her own face while staring at Lucas. “So trusting and reckless, these Obingers…” Leigh just nodded to Aila’s statement, dumbfounded.

The doctor stood slowly, looked at the clock, and then up the stairs. It’d been nearly half an hour since Katja left, and Aila was concerned. She walked into the kitchen, silently made some tea, and grabbed a packet of cookies before making her way towards the stairs. She paused to glance back at Leigh. “I’m going to go check on her. I need a break from…this anyways. Leigh, do me a favour and please don’t use that pan unless he _really_ deserves it.”

Aila paused outside of Katja’s door and lightly knocked. “Katja?”

Receiving a muffled grunt in reply, Aila slowly stepped into the room, frowning at the sight of the woman on the bed with her back to the door. She couldn’t help but feel her heart break a little as Katja tried to quieten her muffled sobs.

“Brought some tea and cookies,” the doctor said quietly, lightly sitting on the edge of the bed. She placed the items down on the opposite bedside table before gently reaching out to place her hand on Katja’s arm, unsure what types of comfort she was willing to accept. Aila felt like she needed to do _something_ though. It was just in her nature.

“Danke,” Katja managed. She willed herself to sit up, and hugged her own knees. “I am sorry.”

“Don’t be _sorry,_ ” Aila told her, surprised.

“It is just…I am not sure I believe all of zis. Ve need proof…ja?”

“I believe so,” Aila agreed. “Perhaps Rat-”

“Rat has done enough for us,” Katja interrupted, wiping her eyes dry. “She has her own…zings…to deal vith. I cannot put more on her.”

“Or perhaps you don’t _want_ to find out for sure?” Aila suggested. She watched as Katja slowly reached out for the mug of tea, and took a soothing sip. She frowned and closed her eyes, sighing.

“I am not liking people messing vith my head,” Katja confided quietly. “I have a good family. I always knew who I vas. I do not need zee man who gave me up coming back now after I spent all zese years accepting zings…”

“Doesn’t mean you have to turn back the clock, Katja,” Aila told her gently. “Lucas…he seems desperate. Scared, even. Dunno about Leigh, but _I_ think he really does want to help us. Katja…he _knows_ things.”

Katja nodded quietly but said nothing, sipping at her tea as she eyed the packet of cookies. She silently took one and nibbled on it.

Aila smiled and ate one as well, before speaking again. “I do get it, y’know…my mum did the same. She gave me up for adoption at birth. I don’t think I ever had a dad, but if she suddenly came back one day, I don’t know what I’d think.”

Katja nodded. “Ja…I never zought he vould suddenly come to me like zis…did he tell you anyzing vhile I vas up here?” she asked.

Aila sighed and nodded. “Aye…the killer is girl named Helena, though I can't help wondering if she's a clone herself after DNA matching my own was found on my monitor's body.”

“Vhy vould a clone be killing us though?” Katja asked, aghast. “Vhat is vrong vith her?”

“I dunno,” Aila mumbled. “Apparently, these Prolethean freaks kidnapped her when she was a child. They abused her and warped her into some sick killer to hunt clones...I guess she's brainwashed, and it's sick. Lucas has never met her in person, apparently, so we can't be sure...but the DNA thing is still driving me mad. I'm willing to put money on Helena being a clone. The religious nuts want her to destroy _all_ of us.”

“Bastarde…” Katja cursed under her breath, her eyes wide. “So our enemies are not DYAD?”

“Apparently not, at least not in that sense. DYAD aren’t the ones killing us, but…I still don’t trust them either,” Aila muttered with a frown. “So it seems we have two enemies really. The Proletheans are everything anti-science, and DYAD are just warped. This sucks.”

Katja took another bite out of her cookie, but found it difficult to finish. She set it back down on the paper bag it came from, and sighed. “Ja,” she muttered, nodding. “Zis sucks.”

Aila stayed upstairs with Katja for a while longer, chatting about various things. The two clones managed to make each other laugh by telling stories of past events, gradually lightening the mood and cheering each other up as they did.

Aila couldn’t believe she’d ever feared the German woman, even for a moment. Smiling to herself, the doctor made her way back down the stairs after Katja decided to go to bed, but she paused at the foot of the steps, trying to process the image before her.

The chair Lucas was in was now away from all of the windows, and Leigh was almost tripping over herself as she wrapped the man in a rope. His mouth was unbound, but he didn’t say anything, instead just looking like he’d given up trying to talk sense into the clone.

“What…the hell are you DOING?!” Aila asked, her mouth slightly agape as she tried to believe what she was seeing. “What the hell is _wrong with you?!_ Y-You can’t POSSIBLY be intending to leave him like that all night, right?!”

“Are you forgetting we still don’t have proof to confirm he hasn’t just told us a whole load of bullshit?” Leigh snapped at the doctor. She paused what she was doing to stare at the Aila in disbelief. “Do you _want_ his minions or his bosses or whoever the hell he’s working with to burst in here and take us in the dead of the night? Besides, you only said I couldn’t hit him. You didn’t say anything about restraining him to make sure he doesn’t go contacting DYAD or…or… _whoever-_ ”

“You already _did_ hit me,” Lucas grumbled pathetically. “My eye. It still hurts.”

“You were asking for it!” Leigh tried to convince both Lucas and Aila. “You can’t just approach strangers dressed all freaky the way you’re dressed and start talking some gibberish, _harassing_ them-”

“Leigh, OK, we get it,” Aila groaned exasperatedly. “Yes, I agree he needs to prove himself before we can feel secure. Sorry, Lucas.”

“I suppose…I cannot blame you in your position. It ez hard to know who to trust.”

“You think?” Leigh asked. She finished tying him, and then flopped back on the sofa.

“ _But_ ,” Aila added nervously, “is this really _necessary?_ ”

“You got a better plan?” Leigh challenged her.

Aila just stared for a moment longer, and then sighed. “Fine, do whatever you want,” she said, raising her hands in defeat before walking into the kitchen to put away the cookies and wash out the empty cup that had held Katja’s tea. “Once you’re done with…that…come to my room and I’ll have a look at your hand to make sure it’s not getting infected,” the doctor said before walking down the hall to her bedroom.

On her bed were several maps of Italy, and maps of the city of Rome. She’d marked down where Aryanna lived and worked to make finding her easier. Aila had plotted out the best route to get there from the city of Florence, where they’d agreed to fly to.

Leigh came knocking on Aila’s door after another few minutes. She invited herself in, looking slightly guilty, and very tired. “He says he won’t fight,” Leigh explained, shrugging. “Says he’s willing to stay there all night just to prove himself, but I dunno…GOD, this whole thing is making me paranoid.”

“You only just noticed?” Aila asked with raised eyebrows. Leigh huffed miserably and shuffled all the way into the room. “Leigh, remember when we met? I sure as hell didn’t trust you back then, and you were trying so hard just to help me. And remember how Rat made you feel when you were accused of working with DYAD. It hurts to feel accused and not trusted, aye?”

“Yeah I _know_ , and I want to trust, but how can I when we don’t have any proof? At least I was able to prove stuff to you…still working on winning Rat over though…”

“Yeah,” Aila nodded, though she sounded unconvinced. “You did a _great_ job of that last time you spoke with her.”

Leigh’s guilt increased. She closed her eyes and sat down on Aila’s bed without invitation. “She just rubs me the wrong way,” she explained pitifully with a shrug. “I wouldn’t have said it if-”

“Just _stop,_ ” Aila pleaded, though she sounded stern. “Really. Stop making excuses, because otherwise you and Rat are never gonna get along.”

“Yes mother,” Leigh grumbled. Aila smirked a bit and rolled her eyes. “I’ll _try_ and make more of an effort with Rat. I was thinking we’ll need her anyway…maybe she can dig something up on Lucas for us…”

“I was thinking that too,” Aila nodded. She reached out and gently took Leigh’s injured hand. Leigh quietly allowed her to unravel the bandage to inspect the wound. “Katja feels bad for putting so much on her, though.”

“How is she?” Leigh asked, looking up suddenly. “Katja…she OK?”

“She will be,” Aila said, nodding. “She was upset when I went to visit her, but I think I did a good job of cheering her up a bit. I feel so bad for being afraid of her at first. She’s absolutely lovely.”

Aila carefully looked over the large cuts on Leigh's hand. They were red and looked painful, but they were healing nicely. Aila nodded in satisfaction, standing to get more of the ointment she’d put on it the previous night. She returned a moment later to carefully apply it. Leigh hissed and flinched, but didn’t pull back.

“There,” Aila said, smiling. “I think you can leave the bandages off now. The air will do it good. Just let me know if it starts bleeding again or does anything weird.”

Leigh nodded, and then smirked. “Again, thanks mum,” she teased.

Aila smirked too. “Well at least you admit you need supervision,” she jested back, her tongue poking out from between her teeth as she grinned cheekily.

\--

That night was a long one. Aila wasn’t sure anyone got much sleep. Katja most likely had a lot on her mind following recent events, and Leigh made a point of guarding the living room most of the night to check Lucas didn't tried to escape. At one point, the hairdresser allowed him to use the bathroom, and it took Aila all her energy to convince her not to stand by the door to make sure he didn’t try anything. Afterwards, Leigh allowed Lucas to make himself comfortable on the sofa instead of tying him up again, but she was not as comfortable as leaving him alone.

By the time morning came, Leigh was almost falling asleep at the table. Lucas had drifted off at some point; Leigh had heard his snoring filling the air, and she had lowered her guard significantly. Now, she could hear snippets of conversation as she shifted from awake, to asleep, to awake again.

“…still cannot get in touch,” Katja’s voice was explaining somewhere in front of her. “I am getting vorried.”

Leigh yawned and pulled herself up. Katja and Aila were sitting in the living room area with Katja’s laptop between them. Lucas was still sitting on the sofa, looking too anxious to speak or move, especially when he noticed Leigh was awake.

“Sup?” Leigh asked with another yawn.

Aila glanced over. “Oh, morning Leigh. We can’t get in touch with Rat. Like...at _all_. I wouldn’t be surprised if she was still pissed over what happened yesterday, but Katja’s getting worried now.”

Leigh frowned, feeling guilty again. “For real?” she asked, surprised Rat wasn’t even responding to Katja. Aila nodded, sipping at her drink as she watched Katja try to contact the hacker again.

Lucas looked between them, but didn’t bother asking any questions about what they were talking about, instead staying where he was. Leigh yawned and made her way into the kitchen to make a cup of tea.

With the warm drink made, Leigh wandered over to the windows again. It was becoming a habit now, but she couldn’t help feeling the need to see out and make sure they were safe. The hills and valleys surrounding Appenzell had dried up overnight, and the local farmers could be seen at the lower end of the hills closer to the town.

After several minutes, Leigh blinked and noticed what looked like someone walking up the path towards the house, though they were too far away to make out any details. The person looked like they had two animals with them. Leigh kept eyes on the person, internally panicking for a moment as she wondered if it was Maggie Chen.

When the person was close enough, and Leigh could make out some details, her eyes widened in shock. “Uh guys, come tell me if I’m seeing what I think I’m seeing…”

“Vhat ez it now?” Katja asked, rolling her eyes. “Ninja robot kidnappers?”

“Seriously, don’t take the piss,” Leigh shot at her. “Holy shit…oh my God, it _is_ her…”

Aila looked up from the laptop. She slowly made her way over to Leigh to peer out of the window. “You’ve _got_ to be kidding me,” she whispered.

The figure was walking even faster now, and it wasn’t long before her face could be seen, clear as day. Leigh stepped back automatically and almost dropped her tea. “Shit,” she whispered. “What the friggin’ frigg is _she_ doing here?”

“ _Who?_ ” Katja asked impatiently.

“Rat!” Aila and Leigh both answered. Katja stood up quickly, sending her laptop flying. She pushed past Aila to stare out of the window and began cursing loudly and quickly in German.

“How’d she even find us?” Leigh asked, but it occurred to her instantly if Rat was smart enough to hack DYAD’s systems, she could find her clone sisters easily enough; especially since she had helped them find a house. “Oh, never mind; just…go deal with her,” she said to nobody in particular. Then she hurried over to Lucas. “Get up. You’re going back in the chair.”

“Leigh,” Aila began, but Leigh had already forced the man back into the chair and was binding his hands together.

Aila sighed and followed Katja to the front door, approaching slowly. There was no mistaking it though. Between the hair and the determined look in her eyes, Aila was sure that this really was Rat.

Out in the sunlight, the doctor was shocked to see the true state of the hacker. She was extremely thin, and extremely pale, as if she hadn’t seen proper food or sunlight in a very long time. Her eyes were shadowed slightly, which was far more pronounced in person than it had been on camera. She looked sick.

Rat had a single bag over her shoulder, and two leashes wrapped around her wrist. The two animals Leigh had seen were dogs. One was small and very fluffy, with cream-coloured fur and a dark gray face, while the other was larger and thinner, with a very long muzzle and black and white fur.

Katja looked as though she was struggling to find words as looked over the other woman, understanding now why she couldn’t reach her before. Aila glanced back and forth between the two, feeling slightly uneasy in the silence.

“And you call _me_ reckless…” Katja said finally, earning a typical glare.

“ _Don’t,_ ” Rat warned her firmly. “You can’t say anything with the types of things _you_ tend to do.”

Aila ran a hand through her hair, suppressing a sigh as the reality of the situation sank in. Was this woman going to be just as grumpy in person as she was online?

“Can we go inside?” Rat asked suddenly, looking around as she adjusted her bag on her shoulder, and for a moment Aila could have sworn Rat looked scared before her usual bored expression reappeared.

“Y-yes, come on in,” the doctor said instantly. “Erm…” She looked down at the dogs, hoping they weren’t going to be much of a problem. She stepped aside and allowed Katja to lead Rat to the house.

Inside, Leigh and Lucas waited in anticipation. Eventually, voices could be heard just outside the front door, and Leigh flailed, picked up the saucepan for a moment, and then abandoned it again instantly after deciding it would not make her look any better than she already did in Rat’s eyes. Leigh kicked the saucepan across the room and it skidded under the table.

“Keep quiet,” she instructed a miserable Lucas. “I _mean_ it.”

The front door opened. In came Katja, followed by Rat, her dogs, and lastly, Aila. Leigh drew herself to her full height, refusing to appear intimidated or annoyed, but her stern expression did not go unnoticed by Rat, who spotted her instantly.

However, the hacker’s attention was immediately turned towards Lucas, and her brow furrowed in confusion. “Do I even _want_ to know why you’ve gained a hostage in the one night I left you people alone?” she asked, glancing at Katja.

The German woman looked away and sighed. “It ez a long story…I vill tell you in a bit.”

Aila frowned, lightly putting her hand on Katja’s arm comfortingly. This couldn’t have been easy for her. Katja glanced over at Aila and nodded in appreciation of the gesture.

Rat stared at the hostage for a few more moments before shaking her head and making her way over to the table, setting her bag down and taking out an extremely fancy looking laptop.

Lucas looked between the four of them, at a loss for words. It really was something else to see so many genetic identicals together in a group, each one of them so vastly different even though they shared a face.

The smaller of the two dogs wandered around the room, sniffing everything curiously before making its way over to Leigh. It looked up at her while wagging its tail. Leigh looked down at the dog uneasily. “Um...”

“She won’t bite,” Rat said without looking over. “Bianca, s'asseoir,” she commanded, and the fluffy dog immediately sat down, still peering up at Leigh curiously. The larger of the dogs had already flopped down near the door, resting its head on its paws, not seeming to mind much of anything.

Leigh struggled to speak. She simply watched Rat for a little while, attempting to allow the fact she was really here sink in. After a moment or two, the hairdresser began inching towards the kitchen, and then hurried away, leaving the room. She took a few minutes to pull herself together.

Rat eyed her as she went, her scowl deepening. “Now who’s hiding like a coward?” she grumbled.

“Be nice,” Katja warned her firmly, not wanting to put up with the other two clones fighting for real. Rat stared at Katja, but said nothing.

“W-why are you here?” Aila dared to ask after a moment.

“You need someone who knows Sign in order to make contact with-” Rat paused, glancing over at the man tied to the chair. “-with you know who, and while I don’t _particularly_ enjoy leaving home, it’s important she’s warned.”

Aila blinked in surprise. “You know Sign Language? Um…that’s awesome. Where did you learn that?” she asked curiously.

“I used to know someone who was deaf,” Rat said curtly, and Aila just nodded. Rat’s eyes again wandered over to Lucas, who was looking both miserable and uncomfortable under her cold gaze. “So is someone gonna tell me who he is?”

Katja hesitated briefly, before explaining everything that they’d learned the night before.

“Your _father?_ ” Rat couldn't help but cut her off, her eyebrows arching up in shock. “But...wait...that means...”

“Ja...” Katja nodded before finishing her explanation.

Upon learning that the man was an active member of DYAD, Rat’s look turned dark and murderous, making Lucas keep his mouth firmly shut. He didn’t think the bony woman would be able to do much to him, but he didn’t want to test her.

Lowering her voice to a whisper, Aila asked if Rat could verify what he’d said about being Katja’s father. Even though Katja didn’t want to ask, she knew that it had to be verified one way or another.

“Yeah, I'd like to know if that's true as well...” Rat muttered before starting to type.

Aila and Katja watched as the hacker worked quickly, and Aila was amazed at how fast things appeared and vanished off the screen as Rat typed various codes and lines from memory.

Neither Aila nor Katja could keep up with everything going on on the screen, but a moment later, different documents appeared with various lines and highlighted words, confirming Lucas was in fact meant to be Katja’s father before he’d given her up for adoption. Rat also pulled up all the documents she could find relating to the Proletheans, though DYAD didn’t have much concrete information on them.

“I’ll do some more digging around later on, when _he’s_ not spying on everyone,” she said quietly but sharply, before turning the computer off. “What _exactly_ are you planning on doing with that one anyways?” Rat asked, speaking in a normal tone of voice again. “While the ropes are…effective…I doubt you have the means to keep a hostage forever, and while I could suggest _plenty_ of ways to keep someone quiet, I doubt any of you would agree to such measures.” The look in Rat's eyes conveyed exactly what she’d like to do to Lucas, making the older man clear his throat and squirm uncomfortably.

Aila frowned and glanced at Katja, feeling uncomfortable. She had to admit Rat had a point though. What _were_ they going to do with Lucas?

\--

Rat’s arrival completely changed the atmosphere in the house of clones. One of the positives was that Leigh finally allowed Lucas a more comfortable stay now the hacker had confirmed his story matched up with the facts. However, the hairdresser was reluctant to engage in conversation with Rat, and she remained on high alert in case anyone came looking for Lucas. Meanwhile, everyone else picked up on the tension, though nobody was quite sure how to resolve the issue.

Katja was slowly accepting Lucas’ presence. Although she didn’t particularly warm up to him, she was polite and agreed to sit and listen as he explained to her in full detail the events of his past, and the reasons he did what he did. Leigh had to wonder if Rat’s arrival served as a distraction for Katja. She seemed slightly more cheerful when she was helping the hacker to settle in, despite Rat’s persistent bad moods.

Aila, always the most rational of the group, did not let Leigh’s behaviour go unnoticed. “You can’t just hide away because Rat’s here,” she said matter-of-factly a day after Rat’s arrival. “Go and clear the air with her.”

“Well what do I say? She looks like she’ll friggin' bite my head off if I dare to even _look_ at her,” was Leigh’s helpless response.

Aila simply rolled her eyes. “She won’t do that, and even if she does, we won’t stand for it,” she tried to convince the hairdresser. “We’re all in a life threatening situation, and neither of you are willing to make things easier. You’re both acting childish.” Leigh crossed her arms and looked away, and Aila raised an eyebrow, looking entirely unimpressed. “Thank you for proving my point,” she said dryly.

“Fine!” Leigh sighed after a moment, standing from where she’d been sitting. She slowly made her way out into the main area of the house, looking around. Katja was talking to Lucas about something, but Rat was nowhere to be seen. The hairdresser sighed but wandered around the house. She didn’t even know which room the hacker had claimed as her own.

After a few minutes, Leigh peeked into a room at the far end of the house away from everyone else's, and spotted Rat sitting on the bed with the larger of the two dogs pressed up against her. She had her laptop set up on her knee and seemed to be working on something. Did she ever do anything except computer stuff?

“Uh…h-hey…” Leigh started awkwardly, unsure what she was supposed to say.

Rat glanced over at her and simply stared for a moment, before turning her attention back to the laptop. “Decided to come out of hiding then?” she asked evenly, though Leigh didn’t miss the biting edge to her voice.

The hairdresser narrowed her eyes slightly, but willed herself to remain calm and at least _try_ to make something work, if only for Aila. “Look,” she willed herself to say. Rat looked up when Leigh lightly kicked the door behind her to close it, and stepped further into the room. “I don’t get why you’re really here, but I suppose it doesn’t matter. The point is, you’re here, and I don’t want things to be awkward or more difficult than they already are.”

Rat simply arched an eyebrow at her, looking rather unimpressed in Leigh's opinion. Was she even going to say anything at all?

Leigh resisted a sigh. She wanted to point out she never would have said such awful things to the hacker if she hadn’t made Leigh and the other clones feel completely worthless; that her lack of trust and constant accusations and insults were what made the hairdresser snap…but what was the point in arguing? People like Rat never admit when they’re wrong, Leigh thought to herself. Rachel was the same. Then again, Aila was right. Leigh never should have snapped when she really just wanted to find a way to make the other clone accept her. She was still wrong to say what she did, and making excuses for it and looking for faults in Rat would solve nothing.

In spite of herself, Leigh inhaled deeply, and then looked directly at the hacker. “I _am_ sorry for what I said. It was a horrible thing to say, and I _didn’t_ mean it, not one word. Whether or not you accept that is down to you, but I’m not going to waste my time fighting with you or trying to win your trust. You’ve clearly already made your mind up about me, so let’s just live and let live. The last thing we need is any trouble.”

Leigh stepped back when she finished. Rat simply looked at her. Leigh couldn’t decide if she should wait for the hacker to say something. After another few seconds, Leigh opened the door to leave the room.

Rat watched her for a moment, but said nothing and simply let her leave.

\--

The following morning, Leigh walked out into the living room in time to see Aila and Katja talking, though she was slightly concerned to see the look on the doctor’s face.

“You’re _actually_ serious about this?” Aila asked, her eyes wide. “You _do_ know how badly this is going to end, right?”

“Ja, it ez the only vay I can see,” Katja nodded firmly.

Aila sighed and ran a hand through her hair. “I can’t really see your crazy idea working, but I suppose it’s worth a shot. _You’re_ telling them though. I had nothing to do with this.”

Katja shrugged and nodded. “Ja, I vill tell zem vhen zey vake up,” she said with an odd, half smile on her face.

Aila shook her head, sipping at her coffee. “You're mental, and I think ya know that.”

Katja only grinned in response. “Vhy ez zis mental? It vill vork.”

“Or someone’ll die,” Aila said.

“Nah,” Katja waved her off. “Nobody vill die.”

Leigh eyed the two of them uncertainly as she approached. “What the friggin’ frigg are you loonies talking about?” she asked accusingly.

“Nozing,” Katja sat up straight as she responded. Aila kept her mouth firmly closed and looked anywhere but at Leigh.

“Right,” Leigh snapped moodily. “Now I _know_ something’s up. Spit it out or I’m getting the saucepan.”

“Oh gosh, I do hope not,” said the voice of Lucas as he appeared at the door frame. “I have still not recovered from being kept hostage.”

Leigh only rolled her eyes as Lucas invited himself to join Aila and Katja at the table.

“I vas zinking you ladies should not stay here for much longer,” he said in more serious tones now. “Maggie…she followed me to zee town. She vill be become suspicious if I do not go back, and I came here only to vorn you of zee dangers so you could leave. I am vorried she vill find you.”

“Aye, we know,” Aila told him, sighing. “We were _just_ making plans, actually, but you’ll forgive us if we don’t give you the details.”

Lucas held his hands up and shook his head. “I do not expect you to. I understand how hard it is to trust.”

“Yeah, especially after the way you came at me in town,” Leigh reminded him bitterly. “ _Anyone_ would freak.”

“I _zought_ you vere Katja,” Lucas explained, sounding tired. “You do look similar. It is zee hair.”

“Mine ez shorter,” Katja responded coolly. “And better.”

“Whatever,” Leigh snapped.

Aila watched the two bickering over hair, and shook her head. She walked into the kitchen to wash out her cup, though instead of putting it away, she left it by the coffee pot. She figured she’d probably need more coffee before the morning was over with.

The doctor heard footsteps behind her, and glanced over to see Leigh pulling something out of the fridge. The hairdresser glanced over. “So do I get to know what’s going on or what? I _will_ get the bloody pan if I need to...”

Aila smiled slightly. “I’d like to think you wouldn’t hurt us, Leigh. And as for that…Katja will fill you guys in soon. This one’s _all_ on her,” she said, and Leigh had a feeling that Aila was trying to stay out of it, which didn’t make her feel any better about whatever ‘it’ was.

Leigh sighed and walked back out into the other room, taking up her usual perch by the window as she looked out at the dull grey morning sky. She glanced down at the clock, seeing it was just after eight in the morning.

A short time later, someone cleared their throat, and Leigh glanced over just in time to see something flying in her direction. She yelped and nearly fell off of the windowsill as she failed to catch whatever it was. The item fell to the floor instead. Upon closer inspection, Leigh saw it was her own rucksack. Katja stood nearby, looking rather smug. She held a second bag in her hand.

“Katja what the HELL?!” Leigh asked irritably, not sure what to make of the situation.

“You go to Italy today,” Katja said with a strange smile on her face.

Leigh raised an eyebrow, looking at the other bag. “What, just us?”

“Nope, I’m not going,” Katja said with a smirk, and glanced over her shoulder as Rat appeared, looking as though she’d just woken up.

“Fine, yes, I’m up. What's so important, Katja?” the hacker grumbled, and blinked in surprise as the German woman shoved the second bag into her hands. “What the hell?”

Leigh felt her heart stop for a moment. “Oh you can _NOT_ be bloody serious, Katja…” she said before she could stop herself.

Katja grinned at the two of them and stuffed a cookie into her mouth. “I am very serious,” she said between mouthfuls. “Ve vill stay here vith doggies, and you two go to Italy and speak to Aryanna.”

Rat’s eyes grew wide, and she dropped the bag to the floor. “Oh no,” she began, shaking her head. “No, no, _NO._ ”

“Don’t vorry; I am good vith animals!” Katja exclaimed.

“I don’t mean _that!_ ” Rat shrieked. “I…just… _WHAT…_ ”

“Told you this wouldn’t go down well,” an unamused Aila spoke as she walked past Katja.

“Vhat? Rat knows sign language; that’s _vhy_ she is here. Might as vell make use of her skills, ja?”

“So why can’t we all go _together?_ ” Leigh asked desperately. “You heard Lucas; we ought to be ditching this place anyway!”

“Aila and I, ve have other plans,” Katja said, shrugging, and she took a large bite out of a second cookie. “Ve save time by contacting the other clones vhile you are away. Elizabeth Childs and Danielle Fournier.”

Leigh bit down hard until her jaw hurt. She almost forgot to breathe as she bent over to pick up the rucksack. “ _FINE!_ ” she bellowed, making everyone jump slightly. “Whatever! I’m not bothered; I’ll do it!”

Truthfully, Leigh could think of nothing worse, but she wasn’t going to let Rat know that. If she protested, more arguments would occur, and Leigh was _not_ going to be responsible for more arguments.

Rat scowled as she looked through the bag, finding a change of clothes, her passport, her laptop, and other bits of this and that for the trip. She stared at Katja accusingly, and the German woman just looked right back at her as she chewed on her cookie casually.

“Relax, Rattyrat. Remember you decided to do this by yourself,” Katja said calmly, fishing out a third cookie as she did. “You vant to translate for Aryanna, so you have to go, yes?”

Rat glared at her darkly for several minutes, before turning and walking back to her own room. Katja followed calmly, and the hacker grit her teeth. “You _don’t_ need to follow me. I just need to grab something out of my other bag.”

“Vhy are you angry, Rat?” Katja asked more gently now they were out of earshot of the others.

Rat shook her head, not meeting the other clone’s eyes as she went through her bag to pull out two small plastic containers of medicine. “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re trying to do,” she said curtly, shoving them in the new rucksack. “Purposely shoving me in with one of _them_. It’s bad enough being _around_ her and Lucas as it is.”

“I vant you and her to come to an understanding, zat is all,” Katja shrugged, sitting on the bed as she did. “She is not bad. To be honest, I don’t zink she really _ez_ one of zem. Plus…you know zat I know vhy you’re _really_ here. You vant to prove to her zat you _can_ do more zan just tippy-tappy computer zings, yes? So let me ask you this then; vhy? If you refuse to give her a chance because she is one of ‘zem’, vhy do you vant to prove yourself to her?” she asked quietly.

Rat was silent for several minutes, before she shook her head and muttered something under her breath.

“Vant to know vat I zink?” Katja said after a moment.

“Not really,” Rat grumbled, standing up as she checked through her bag again to make sure she had everything. “Though I’m sure you’ll tell me anyways.”

“I do not zink you came here just to prove yourself to someone you’ve already decided to hate. Maybe zee real reason is zat you just…don’t vant to be alone anymore, even if you can’t bring yourself to believe it yet.”

Rat stared at her for a moment. She shook her head again. “Don’t be stupid,” she muttered, and she swiftly walked from the room.


	10. Chapter 9

After some protesting, and time wasting, Leigh stood waiting outside the house with her things while Rat refused to leave the house. The hacker had agreed to the task, only to change her mind at the last minute.

“If we’re gonna go, we should go NOW,” Leigh said loudly. “It’s almost midday for God’s sake.”

Katja was unwilling to put up with Rat’s stubbornness. It wasn’t long before she forced Rat out of the house physically while Rat shrieked something about personal space and boundaries, and everyone else just stared. When they reached the front door, Katja shoved Rat out and slammed and locked the door quickly.

“KATJA!” Rat shouted, her voice echoing. After a moment, Katja’s face appeared at the window, and she opened it to toss Rat’s bag out onto the grass. Rat hurried to hold the window open as Katja went to close it. “You can’t be serious! This is madness!”

“No, no it is not,” Katja told her. “Zee sooner you go, zee sooner you come back.”

“I think she’s serious,” Aila said, she too appearing at the window.

“Ve vill take care of doggies, no problem.”

“Katja,” Rat said desperately, “ _let me back in-_ ”

“You are vasting time,” Katja sternly interrupted. “Ve must contact Childs, so get going.”

“For God’s sake,” Leigh grumbled to herself. “If she’s gonna faff around like this, I’m going by myself. I’ll call you all later to let you know I’m safe.”

Leigh bounded off quickly, leaving everyone else to stare after her.

“Leigh!” Aila cried out. “Wait! You can’t…you can’t just go off _alone!_ ”

“Keep a close eye on Lucas, yeah?” Leigh shouted back over her shoulder. “If anything happens, let me know! And _keep safe!_ ”

“ _LEIGH!_ ” Aila shouted again, but Leigh simply waved and hurried off. Rat watched after her, and then helplessly turned back to Katja, who was staring at her with raised eyebrows.

“You are locked out. You may as vell go.”

“Katja…I will _never_ forgive you for this,” Rat hissed.

Katja broke off a piece of her cookie and threw it at Rat’s face. “Go,” she repeated, throwing more and more bits of food out of the window, to which Rat held up her hands to shield her face. “Go on!”

Rat glared at her venomously, before gritting her teeth hard and whipping around to practically run down the path after Leigh.

Aila sighed and shook her head to herself. “Wanna bet she’ll be back within the hour?” she asked dryly.

“If she ez, I vill knock her out and throw her on plane myself.”

\--

The trip to the airport was tense, and the longer Leigh was with Rat, the more uneasy she became. After her initial fit, the hacker seemed to have retreated into herself and didn’t speak a single word. She was completely tense, and kept her arms crossed and her head down, her hands shaking as she followed Leigh in silence.

Leigh didn’t know what to make of the woman’s odd behaviour, but she didn’t dare question it and just tried to focus on getting to Italy without another incident. They needed to get a bus to Zurich, before they could fly to Florence for that afternoon.

With over an hour until the plane took off, Leigh quietly led Rat towards a small café when she started to feel hungry, figuring that lunch would pass some time at the very least. The hairdresser didn’t bother questioning it when Rat went straight for a small, enclosed booth near the back of the place, and simply followed her and sat down, looking over a menu as she did.

They ordered food, and then Leigh took out her phone to let Aila and Katja know they had arrived at the airport. More than anything, Leigh worried about leaving them alone with Lucas. He seemed genuine, but Leigh had taken her paranoia of things going wrong at the house with her, and she knew it was going to be difficult not to check up on Aila and Katja more times than was necessary. She only hoped they would understand her concerns and not become annoyed at her constant texting.

Leigh placed the phone on the table before her, and simply stared at it. Rat still had not uttered a word to her, and Leigh was finding it difficult to strike up a conversation. She wasn’t sure she even _wanted_ to talk to Rat at _all_. Why had she agreed to this again?

“So, erm,” Leigh forced herself to speak anyway. “Why ‘Rat’? That’s obviously not your real name.”

Rat hesitated, but glared. “That’s not for you to know,” she responded. “‘Leigh’ isn’t your real name, either, is it _Ashleigh_?”

“Yeah,” Leigh muttered darkly, shrugging, and averting her gaze again. “Keep forgetting you know everything about everything. I hate the name ‘Leigh’, anyway. It was a nickname that kind of stuck.”

Rat remained still and silent. It was clear to Leigh she had no interest in sharing back stories, and she certainly wasn’t going to give Leigh her real name.

The hairdresser sighed and looked around at the various pictures on the walls. She hoped the trip would be over quickly. When their food arrived, she ate in silence and found her thoughts lingering on Rachel.

It had been nearly a month and a half since Leigh had run away from London, and somewhere in the back of her mind, she wondered what the other self-aware clone was doing at that moment. Probably sitting behind a desk somewhere being pampered by her staff as she continued to be the best at everything that came her way.

Leigh sighed, staring down at her plate as she daydreamed. What a mess she’d gotten herself into. She never dreamed she’d have to be so guarded all the time. She never realised before how simple and carefree her life had really been before now.

\--

“I can only see this going one way, and it’s a way I don’t like. We just say ‘screw it’ and go up to her and see what happens, like we did with Janika.”

Leigh and Rat had recently arrived at their destination, and were rushing through the airport to leave as fast as they could. After Leigh had once again made contact with Aila, she had finally managed to engage Rat in conversation by suggesting ways to approach Aryanna.

“ _That_ will end badly,” the hacker responded with a roll of her eyes. “You do _not_ want to take a leaf out of Katja’s book.”

“Yeah, I know it’s not ideal, and if you were listening, you’d have heard me say ‘it’s a way I _don_ _’t like_ ’…but come on, she can’t _talk_. How’re we gonna communicate with her unless it’s face to face?”

Rat grumbled something as she and Leigh left the busy building, apparently thinking. Weak sunlight greeted them along with fresh air. “Perhaps we should observe her from a safe distance and then decide how to approach.”

“You mean spy on her?” Leigh asked, eyebrows raised. “Good God…”

“We'll get to know what she’s like. How she reacts to things, if she’s easily startled, that kind of thing, and then approach her when she’s alone, somewhere quiet.”

“Poor girl will have a heart attack,” Leigh murmured. “She works in a spa, doesn’t she?”

“Yeah,” Rat nodded. Leigh stopped walking, and so did Rat. They watched each other for a moment.

“So what if we go and observe her while she’s at work?” Leigh asked, shrugging.

Rat stared with wide eyes, and her mouth hung open. She knew what Leigh was thinking, and she did not like it. “Oh _God,_ ” she groaned. She followed after Leigh, who was now speeding away, clearly more enthusiastic about receiving spa treatment than the hacker was.

When the two arrived at Kami Spa, Rat sighed, clearly not enjoying the idea of just walking into the place. “And what should we say when people start questioning _why_ exactly there’s two random people here who look just like one of their employees?” she asked dryly.

Leigh tilted her head. “We could say we’re related?”

“Yes, because that wouldn’t attract her attention at _all_ if someone mentioned it to her,” Rat muttered. “And what if her monitor is here too?”

Leigh shrugged. “We’d just have to deal with it if it happened,” she said. “Take things one step at a time.”

Rat sighed, but followed Leigh into the building. The spa was warm and smelled of oils and flowers, and being inside somewhere seemed to make the hacker at least somewhat more relaxed than she had been outside. The building was comprised of narrow hallways, and seemed to be largely populated by Asian employees. Looking around more, it soon became apparent why that was, as the place’s full name was Kami Oriental Spa.

There was a young woman at the desk who was eyeing the pair curiously, next to various signs pointing to changing rooms, baths, massages, and other such treatments. Leigh looked rather enthusiastic about this particular venture, and walked up to the woman at the counter to see how much everything would cost.

Soon enough, the two clones were making their way down towards the changing rooms. Rat had fallen silent again, looking around with her head down as they passed by various people of all ages walking around in towels.

Leigh wasn’t sure if paranoia was creeping up on her again or if each member of staff they came across on the way to the changing rooms was eyeing her and Rat. She picked up the pace, silently wondering why she had thought this would be a good idea…but then she stopped abruptly when someone stepped in front of her.

It was an enthusiastic and excitable young man with dark skin and even darker hair. He was grinning at Rat and Leigh and speaking very fast in Italian. From the outfit he wore, the women knew he worked here. He had obviously recognised them.

“Err…English,” Leigh said nervously.

“Aye! Please forgive me,” the man apologised quickly. “But you _must_ be related to our Aryanna, yes?”

“Y-yes,” Leigh managed. She was thankful the man could speak English. The man’s grin grew bigger.

“She never mentioned sisters, let alone _twins!_ Then again, she always was very private. You are not from around here?”

“Triplets,” Rat said quickly, and Leigh nodded a little too eagerly. “It’s a long story; we live in different countries. Only...only she doesn’t know we’re here-”

“It’s a surprise,” Leigh added.

“Yeah, a surprise. Is she here?” Rat asked.

“Sì, yes,” the man said, still grinning excitedly. He called out to another staff member. “Julie, dove è Aryanna?”

The woman, Julie, paused for a moment, and then said, “Uhm...camera con tre penso?”

Leigh and Rat glanced at each other, not understanding a word of what was being said, before the excitable man spoke in English again. “She is working in room three today. I can lead you, yes?”

“Um, t-that’s OK, we can find it. Just make sure nobody mentions us being here, yeah? Don’t wanna go and ruin the surprise,” Leigh said with an awkward, forced smile. What a surprise it would be…

Rat glanced around, not liking the degree of attention they were getting as they awkwardly stood in the middle of the hallway.

“Ah, I will keep my mouth shut about the surprise,” the man said with a wink. “Do let me know if you need assistance! Just ask for Robbie!” He gestured to the tag on his chest where his name was printed, and moved away from the clones, almost skipping as he went.

Leigh turned her attention back to Rat. “We should get changed,” she said.

“Sod that,” Rat shot. “Let’s just go to room three and find Aryanna.”

“We kind of need to blend in,” Leigh told her, rolling her eyes. “We go in dressed as we are, we’ll stick out like a sore thumb.”

“I’m _not_ walking around dressed in a friggin' _towel_ ,” Rat growled, sounding very annoyed now. She turned on her heel and began walking aimlessly to find room three.

Leigh groaned and scurried after her. “You don’t wear a towel; you get a robe,” Leigh hissed at her. “I thought the whole point of this was to make sure we’re not seen? Besides, we’ve _paid_ to be here, so we might as well make use of the facilities…”

Rat stopped suddenly. Leigh almost walked into her, and she frowned when Rat turned to glare directly at her. “If you wanna doss about, be my guest,” she told Leigh irritably. “But that’s _not_ why I agreed to come here. _I’m_ not gonna waste time getting my nails done or whatever when there’s a _serious_ reason for us being here!”

Leigh opened her mouth to protest, but quickly paled as she saw something over Rat’s shoulder. “Shit!” she squealed, dragging the hacker around the corner.

Rat protested, but fell silent as she saw what had startled Leigh so much. Just down the hallway was the unmistakable face of a clone with long, straight brown hair. She was smiling brightly, signing to a woman wearing a robe before the two shook hands and kissed cheeks. The woman in the robe then walked down towards the opposite end of the hallway while Aryanna went back into the room.

“Well I guess we know where room three is now,” Rat commented after a moment.

Leigh looked around at the people staring at them and whispering. “Oh sod it. Do what you like, but _I’m_ getting a robe. We’re sticking out too much in our street clothes,” she said, before rushing away towards the changing rooms.

Rat glanced around at the people who continued to stare at her. “ _YES?_ ” she snapped at them loudly, before grumbling and following Leigh.

Spying on Aryanna was proving to be difficult. Twice, Leigh and Rat almost came face to face with her, and twice, Leigh was able to dodge out of the Italian’s way just in time, pulling an extremely angry Rat along with her. At one point, the hairdresser threw herself behind a large plant standing in the corner and gestured desperately for Rat to join her, but Rat refused, especially when members of staff approached to ask what on earth they were playing at and to see if they needed help.

“No, no, no,” Leigh assured the workers quickly. She made a point to hide her face under the hood of her robe, and threw a towel over Rat’s head to hide her too. “We’re OK. Honest…we just…”

“We just…” Rat added, but she couldn’t seem to find the words to speak. Instead, she and Leigh trailed off, and hurried away from the workers and into the nearest room. Thankfully, it was empty, but it contained massage beds and various products, and Leigh wasn’t sure how long it would be before someone came bursting in.

“This _isn’t working,_ ” Rat spat angrily.

“You think?” Leigh said coldly. “If you would just _put your robe on like a normal person-_ ”

“It’s got nothing to do with the ROBE!” Rat shouted.

Leigh raised her hands fearfully. “Will you _shut up?_ ” she whispered, hushing her. “Honestly – you’re gonna get us kicked out-”

“ _ME?!_ ” Rat even laughed now, looking completely astounded as she stared at Leigh in open mouthed shock. “Who’s the one hiding behind people and dodging in and out of rooms with a friggin' TOWEL on her head? You look like some kinda spa ninja bandit…thing-”

“Oh _shut up_ ,” Leigh snapped nastily as she went to open the door. “Look, let’s just go on out there, try one more time to get close to her, and if that fails, we’ll just have to approach. Agreed?”

“ _No,_ ” Rat groaned, rubbing her eyes in complete frustration.

Leigh pulled open the door anyway. “Thought you’d say that,” she said with a sigh, and she strode out into the corridor to resume her plan, leaving Rat fuming behind her.

The hacker watched Leigh leave to resume practising her failed ninja skills, and walked out of the room, heading in the opposite direction. This was _ridiculous._ They’d wasted the better part of the afternoon dodging around the whole spa like idiots and hadn’t learned a single thing about how Aryanna would react to their presence.

Rat made her way up to the front of the spa, and nearly ran into one of the staff members. She glared and opened her mouth to tell him where to get off, but paused as he recognised the eager young man, Robbie, from earlier, and forced an awkward smile instead.

“Oh, hello again miss! Need any help?” Robbie asked happily.

“Actually, yes, if you wouldn’t mind…do you think you could discreetly get Aryanna to go to that empty room there? Without saying anything about me, of course…” she said, trying and failing to sound pleasant as she did, ending up looking more awkward than anything.

“Uh, sure thing miss, no problem,” Robbie said with a smile, and turned to seek out his co-worker.

Rat sighed and shook her head at herself, making her way back into the room she was just in to wait. “Well that could've gone better,” she muttered to herself. “Least it worked somewhat…at least we’ll have the room to talk alone.”

Meanwhile, Leigh had finally managed to get close enough to her Italian counterpart, and was watching her closely from behind a doorway. Every so often, the hairdresser pulled back quickly to duck behind the wall. She swore under her breath when an impatient staff member approached.

“Ma’am, I’m going to have to ask you to _leave_ ,” she said rudely. “You’re clearly not here for the right reasons-”

“No, no, I am,” Leigh insisted, peering around the woman’s figure to look in Aryanna’s direction. To Leigh’s horror, Aryanna had moved, and was nowhere to be seen. “Fuck’s sake,” Leigh added.

The woman raised her eyebrows. “That language is NOT appropriate,” she scolded Leigh. “If you do not move, I will have to call for security.”

“Shit,” Leigh whispered as the woman grabbed her upper arm to steer her through the corridor. Protesting would cause a scene, so Leigh bit her lip and nodded. “Let me get my things?” she asked crossly. Her clothes and possessions were still locked away in the changing room.

The woman held in a sigh, but nodded, and began escorting Leigh to the changing rooms. Leigh looked this way and that for a sign of either of the other clones in the building, but what happened next caused her jump in fright and shriek in terror.

She and the woman rounded the corner only to come face to face with Aryanna herself, who was following Robbie. Leigh shrieked a few more times at the startled look on Aryanna’s face, and Aryanna stumbled back in panic.

Rat raised an eyebrow at the sounds of screaming just outside the door, recognizing the voice as that of a clone. She groaned, face-palming. “Leigh, what the HELL did you go and do?” she muttered, feeling more than a little frustrated as she peeked out of the room in time to see Leigh freaking out and Aryanna scared out of her wits.

The scene didn’t take long to unfold, and as more and more people showed up to see what all the screaming was about, Aryanna turned and fled, vanishing into the crowd somewhere.

Rat looked between Leigh (who thankfully stopped screeching like a banshee) and where the Italian clone had been just moments before, and could only face-palm repeatedly. “Leigh… _vous putain de crétin!_ ”

\--

Leigh and Rat were kicked out of the building after receiving a warning that they would be reported to the police if they came back to cause more trouble. The members of staff were confused, especially because of how upset Aryanna appeared, but Leigh and Rat were not keen on the idea of hanging around to get arrested.

“You just HAD to go and eff it all up, didn’t you?” Rat started as they hurried away from the spa. “I _had_ it under control, and you just-”

“I didn’t know you went and asked for a private room!” Leigh interrupted, sounding as though she might cry. “Honestly – she just…came out of nowhere-”

“Oh don’t give me that,” Rat cut across her.

“Look, at the very least, she’s _seen_ us now, so she’s _bound_ to have questions and maybe even ask around for us!” Leigh was speaking loudly now, trying to justify what had happened. “We either hang around for a bit and let her find us out here on her own terms, or we scare the poor girl again later by showing up at her house uninvited. Come on Rat, you’re the smart one; _you_ figure it out!”

“FINE!” Rat shouted, and some by passers glanced at her and Leigh curiously as they argued. The hacker marched over to a public bench under the shade of some trees, sat down, and folded her arms moodily. “We’ll wait and see what happens! But don’t DO anything this time! Let me handle it!”

Leigh simply flopped down on the bench as well, staring at the ground in silence. She sighed, bringing her knees up to her chest, feeling bad about messing up their first attempt with Aryanna.

Rat sad nothing more on the matter and reached into her bag, taking out a small plastic container. Leigh eyed her curiously as she silently dry-swallowed a small pill before putting the container back in her bag.

“The hell was that?” Leigh asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Nothing you need to be concerned with,” the hacker responded immediately, and Leigh just shook her head, not having the energy to get into another pointless argument.

An hour later, Leigh glanced over and spotted Aryanna exiting the building, alongside Robbie. The Italian clone was signing something to him, still looking freaked out.

“What’s she saying?” Leigh asked. “Er…signing, whatever.”

Rat watched for a moment. “She’s explaining that ‘those weird people aren’t my siblings, I’m an only child’.”

“Well shit,” Leigh cursed tiredly.

She watched as Aryanna and her colleague continued to sign, but Rat kept quiet. The hacker looked almost pained for a moment, before apparently realising it and masking the emotion with a bored look. Leigh didn't bother asking, not wanting to cause more drama over nothing.

Suddenly, Robbie  looked up, and his eyes found Leigh’s. Then he looked at Rat too.

“Shit!” Leigh panicked. She held up her rucksack to cover her face, while Rat rubbed her forehead in sheer exasperation.

“Too late,” she muttered, annoyed. “They’ve seen us.”

Rat watched as Robbie said something to Aryanna, and then walked across the street towards the two. Leigh peeked out from behind the bag and paled. “Shit!” she said again, not sure whether to stay or run.

Robbie stopped a few feet in front of them, trying to look somewhat intimidating. “Look, I dunno who you guys are or what you want, but stop harassing Aryanna!” he said boldly. “She said she doesn’t have any sisters…”

Rat raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, and we both look identical to her because we feel like it,” she said dryly. “We just wanna talk. That’s it.” Without waiting for Robbie to respond, Rat looked over to Aryanna and signed something to her.

Robbie shook his head. “Just…stay away from her, alright?” he said with a frown, before slowly making his way back over to the Italian clone.

“Hang on a minute!” Leigh snapped, lowering her bag at last and standing up. Robbie and Aryanna looked back anxiously, but Rat rubbed her temples, fearing the worst.

“Leigh, just _don’t-_ ”

“No, Rat! We didn’t come all this way with such important information just to be told to do one! Look, Aryanna, we’re not here just to mess around! We _need_ to talk to you!”

Aryanna simply shook her head and turned to leave again, but Leigh wasn’t in the mood to be ignored. She hurried to cross the street, only to be stopped by Robbie, who stepped in front of her.

“I _don’t_ want to have to call the police-”

“Oh, shut it,” Leigh snapped. “You think this fun for _us?_ Honestly, I can think of a million other things I’d rather be doing, but the fact is, _ARYANNA,_ ” she spoke the Italian clone’s name loudly, causing Aryanna to stop and look back again, “ _we_ can’t run away from this, and neither can _you_. So you either agree to meet us later on, or we’ll just come and find you again.”

Rat sighed, but stood up too to walk and stand next to Leigh. In spite of herself, she nodded. “Like I said, we just want to _talk_ ,” she spoke in calmer tones than Leigh did. Then, Rat began signing something to Aryanna, and Leigh could only guess she was trying to convince the mute to at least listen to what they had to say.

Aryanna looked back and forth between the two, still looking entirely freaked out, before turning and quickly walking down the street away from them.

“Fuck’s sake!” Leigh said, making as if she was going to run after her, though Rat held out her arm to block her path.

“I told her where we’re staying. Let’s leave her be for a bit until she calms down,” she said, and Leigh grumbled quietly before turning around to walk back to their hotel.

\--

That evening was spent largely in silence. The only sounds in the hotel room were the gentle taps of keys as Rat sat on her bed with her laptop. She was back to her usual edgy self after the effects of whatever pill she’d taken earlier wore off.

Leigh was sitting on the far side of the room, away from the other clone, perched in front of the window as she observed the street below. The area was fairly well lit, even though it had long since turned dark.

Off in the distance, she could see the outline of the Colosseum, and other traditional Roman landmarks. Leigh wondered if she could come back here one day as a regular person and see the sights. The city really was as beautiful and charming as she’d heard about growing up.

So far there had been no sign of Aryanna, though really Leigh and Rat didn’t expect her to appear after just one meeting. They’d already called Katja and Aila and to fill them in on what had happened in full detail, much to Leigh’s indignation. All they could do now was hold back for a bit and wait until they could talk to Aryanna again, preferably _without_ Robbie present.

Leigh tore herself away from the window and instead turned to stare at Rat. She silently observed for a while as the hacker typed away, though from the deepening frown on her face, Leigh could tell Rat was aware of her watching.

“ _What?_ ” Rat snapped after another few moments.

“Nothing,” Leigh sighed, shrugging.

“Well stop staring. It’s _weird_.”

“Sorry,” Leigh said shortly. “I was just…” she considered asking Rat what she was doing just to strike up a conversation, but thought better of it. Rat was not the social type. “Forget it,” Leigh added instead.

She spun back around to stare out of the window again instead. This had been such a bad idea. She didn’t know how safe it was to go outside and venture, but being stuck inside with Rat was boring and painful. With the little progress they had made, Leigh had to wonder why on earth she had let Katja talk her into this at all.

Just to give herself something to do, Leigh made her way to the wall where she'd left her bag. She spent a few minutes removing the various files she'd brought with her, and opened up Aryanna’s. She'd been wondering if Robbie was her monitor, but upon further inspection, it appeared Robbie had no connection to DYAD whatsoever. No, Aryanna’s monitor was-

“Her _girlfriend?_ ” Leigh read off the paper.

From across the room, Rat heard her and looked up from her laptop for a second, as though curious as to what Leigh was doing. The hacker shrugged. “It’s not that weird. A good number of us have identified as lesbian or bisexual,” she said, looking back to what she’d been reading. “Hell, a handful of us have even identified as transsexual if you can believe it.”

“Well I know it’s not _weird,_ but I just…I dunno, we’re clones right? So shouldn’t we all have the same preference in that area?”

“Evidently not,” Rat said, shrugging again. “That type of thing isn’t purely genetic. We’re living proof of that.”

Leigh paused, considering her next question. “What about you?” she asked.

“Excuse me?” the hacker said flatly, raising an eyebrow.

“You heard.”

Rat was silent for several minutes, and Leigh wondered if she’d answer at all. “I have no time or desire for such things,” Rat muttered, averting her gaze slightly before going back to her laptop.

Leigh resisted the urge to roll her eyes, figuring she should have guessed that. She really couldn’t picture the hacker seeing anybody with how anti-social she acted. “I suppose you already know what I am,” Leigh grunted, to which Rat merely nodded. “Rat…” Leigh began in more serious and desperate tones this time. She focused her full attention on the hacker. “What do I have to do to prove I’m _not_ one of them? I have _never_ been involved with DYAD. The only difference between me and all the others is I was always _awake_ when I had tests done on me. I knew they were happening, but only to _me_ ; I didn’t even know more of us existed until recently. If you really know everything about me, you’ll know that I’m _just_ a hairdresser from London, and I never visited DYAD unless I _had_ to.”

Rat had frozen to listen to Leigh, but she did not look at her. After several minutes, the hacker sighed and set her laptop aside, focusing her full attention on Leigh, who was looking like she was on the verge of tears.

“Trust isn’t easy for me, not with anyone, but especially not with someone who’s ever been affiliated with _them,_ ” Rat reluctantly explained. “They’ve been hunting me relentlessly for several years now. If anyone were to hand me over to them…let’s just say it wouldn’t end pleasantly for me. I wasn’t kidding when I said they’re like the friggin' Mafia. If you’re _really_ as ignorant as you say you are, you have _no idea_ what that psychopath Leekie is actually capable of…what he _does_ to people in the name of ‘science’…that’s why trusting _you_ has been particularly difficult, because believe it or not, I _don’t_ know everything about you. I don’t know what you might do for them or say to them, if anything. The official record is nothing but observations and reports made by monitors. Things can easily be excluded. Just because I have access to the database _doesn’t_ mean I have the full story. In fact, that’s very rarely the case. Long story short; the less you know about me, the safer I am.”

Leigh nodded. She had to admit that Rat’s explanation made sense. “I understand,” she told her quietly. “I suppose I never considered that about monitors leaving information out…but yeah, I get you.”

The hairdresser stared blankly at Aryanna’s file for a few minutes, thinking. She couldn’t help wondering what sorts of things Leekie had done. “Leekie…” she spoke again, still not looking at Rat. “He…he raised another of us. She’s…she’s _different_. I always wondered if she’d be the way she is now if…”

Leigh stopped, unable to continue; unable to discuss Rachel’s past and the loss of her parents. It was a personal matter, and however much Rachel annoyed her, it wasn’t Leigh’s story to share.

“You mean your sister, Rachel,” Rat stated. “Yeah…that’s another reason I don’t know if trusting you is the wisest choice for me, seeing as Leekie practically groomed her to run DYAD. Blood runs thick, as they say.”

It took Leigh a few seconds to register what Rat had said. Had there been some sort of misunderstanding? She looked up at Rat numbly. “My sister? Rachel’s not my sister,” she explained calmly, though she frowned a bit.

Rat stared at her. “That’s not what my sources say,” was her blunt response.

Leigh shook her head. “We were raised together as friends, with separate families.”

“Yes, I _know_ that,” Rat snapped, rolling her eyes, and Leigh was feeling extremely sick suddenly. “But don’t _lie_ about it; the information is _right here_.” Rat seized her laptop again and began typing as if to prove the point to Leigh, who was now sitting completely still.

“You’re making shit up,” she breathed quietly.

Rat managed a sarcastic laugh and shook her head. “It’s right here in black and white, so stop denying it. Pretending she’s not isn’t gonna make me trust you more.”

Leigh couldn’t move as Rat found what she was looking for. She eyed Leigh, and then began reading off the screen. “Rachel Duncan, born Rachel Callingham. Daughter of Janet and Spencer Callingham; born 14th April along with twin sister, Ashleigh.”

Leigh twitched slightly and felt her throat tighten. It was not true. “That doesn’t make any _sense!_ ” she shrieked suddenly. It _couldn’t_ make sense; Leigh was _older_ than Rachel by at least _three weeks_ -

“The Duncans required a clone child, and Rachel was given to them,” Rat continued, ignoring Leigh’s comment. “Originally another surrogate mother was due to hand over her child to the Duncans, but things changed. They raised Rachel instead.”

“I don’t believe you,” Leigh said angrily now. She was struggling to control her shaking voice. “You’re making shit up! Either your sources are _fucked up_ or you’ve made all this up yourself as some sick twisted-”

“It’s right here in black and white,” Rat said calmly, clearly not believing Leigh in the slightest.

Leigh managed to stand up and approach. She barely even glanced at the file on the screen before shaking her head again, mortified. “No,” she said again, shaking her head. “That’s not true. T-that _CAN’T_ be true! I don’t believe you!” she whispered,  feeling angry and sick at the same time. “Rachel…Rachel can’t _POSSIBLY_ …”

Rat frowned, studying Leigh’s expression carefully as she continued to deny it. What was the point in doing so? What confused her most was that something about Leigh’s reaction seemed strangely…genuine. Either this girl was a really good actor…or…

“You _actually_ didn’t know?” she asked, watching Leigh’s expression carefully.

Leigh didn’t respond, but she grew pale before covering her mouth with one hand, and bolted out of the bedroom.


	11. Chapter 10

Back in Switzerland, the clones had reluctantly allowed Lucas to leave to make sure Maggie didn’t find the house. It was a huge risk, but they had no choice and just had to trust the man.

In the meantime, Aila and Katja were having trouble contacting the Canadian clone, Elizabeth Childs. Aila looked over her file as Katja did something on the computer. Aila knew having someone who was affiliated with the police on their side would be a huge help when it came to being hunted down by a psycho killer clone.

Sadly, with her being in Canada, they couldn’t show up there as easily as they could with the European clones, and so the next best thing was trying to contact her over the computer, though the detective didn’t seem to be at home very often.

“We could always try calling instead?” Aila offered, looking over to the German woman.

“Ja, but I am not going to pretend zis Elizabeth Childs does not vorry me a little,” Katja said uncertainly.

Aila stared at her. “Why?”

“She ez police detective. If she does not believe us, or if she ez not villing to listen, her police detective buddies could find us. Ve have to be careful.”

“Shit,” Aila whispered. “Her monitor isn’t a cop, right?”

“Erm,” Katja said uncertainly, and she flailed around trying to search for Elizabeth’s file. “No,” she continued once she found and opened it. “Monitor is boyfriend, Paul.”

“Well that’s something at least,” Aila sighed in relief. “Last thing we need is a monitor with _authority_ on our backs…”

“Ja, but still, police getting involved in all zis could be messy, especially if zey have heard zat _you_ are vanted for murder back in Scotland,” Katja said cautiously.

Aila swallowed hard. “I'd almost forgotten about that for a bit,” she whispered. “But what are the chances of that?”

“I do not know,” Katja shrugged. “But you can never be too careful. Zat ez von zing I have learned from Ratty, even if she zinks I do not follow zat rule often enough.” Aila watched as Katja tidied up the files and found her phone. She paused, and then looked up at the doctor. “Do you vant to call Childs, or shall I?”

“You’re better at talking to new clones,” Aila pointed out. “I always get nervous about how they’ll react and start stuttering.”

Katja just shook her head and picked up the phone, dialing as Aila read off Elizabeth’s cell phone number from the file, figuring that’d give them a better chance of reaching her over her home phone number. Katja put it the phone on loud-speaker and set it on the table between them after entering the last number, and waited as it rang.

The phone rang and rang, and for a moment, the German woman thought it’d go to voicemail, but on the last ring, the Canadian clone picked up.

“Childs,” her unmistakable voice came through the speaker.

“Elizabeth?” Katja asked.

“Beth, and yeah. Who am I speaking with?” Katja paused for a moment before Beth spoke again. “Hello? I’m gonna hang up.”

“No, don’t hang up,” Katja told her urgently. “I have some information for you. I have reason to believe ve may be related.”

A pause followed, and Aila opened her mouth to ask what on earth Katja was thinking, but the German held her hand up to silence her.

“Related?” Beth sounded surprised, but stern. “Who the hell ARE you?”

“My name is Katja; Katja Obinger. I vas put up for adoption vhen I vas born, and I never knew of my real family until now. You vere IVF baby, ja?”

“What’s that got to do with you being adopted?” Beth asked shortly. “How exactly did you get your information?”

“I cannot explain over zee phone,” Katja continued. “But Beth, zere are many things I vould like to discuss vith you, if vill let me. You have…Skype?”

Beth didn’t speak for a while, and Aila simply frowned in confusion at Katja, who was still dismissing her looks with a wave of her hand.

“You don’t want to meet in person?” Beth eventually asked. Katja bit her lip.

“Not possible. Not right now. If ve can talk online…video call maybe…you vill understand. I vill tell you everything.”

“If this is some sick joke-”

“It ez not, but you can judge for yourself,” Katja assured her. “Please. Just one video call.”

Beth sighed down the phone. “What makes you think I’m even interested in the fact we may be related?” She sounded much more stuck-up now, but Katja detected a hint of uncertainty in her voice. Beth was simply being cautious.

“You vill be,” Katja replied.

Another paused followed. The sounds of Beth scrambling around for something on her end could be heard; Katja could only guess she was searching for some paper to scribble on.

“Give me your Skype details and I’ll contact you tonight. Be online at eight o’clock. If fail to respond to my call, you won’t get another chance.”

Katja nodded, and the two of them quickly swapped details. Beth swiftly ended the call after that, and Katja looked up at Aila.

“I could not tell her about zee killer and clones over zee phone; she might have been at zee police station,” Katja launched into an explanation first. “So vee call her later. Let her see our faces. She vill be interested enough to listen zen; to _believe_ us. Vhen she vants to know more, ve vill tell her everyzing.”

“Yeah, but what if her boyfriend’s around when she makes the call?” Aila asked.

Katja shrugged. “Ve vill have to make sure he ez not,” she said simply.

“And what if her calls, phone or Skype, are being monitored by DYAD as we speak? They’re going to know we’ve been in touch.”

“I did not zink of zis,” Katja said regretfully, lightly smacking herself on the head. “But zere is no other vay, Aila. Beth is police. She vill figure out a vay to stay undetected, I am sure…and so vill vee.”

Aila glanced at the clock, working out the timezones in her head. “She’s…six hours behind us…I think. So eight at night for her world be…two in the morning for us.”

Katja looked displeased at the thought of being awake at that time, and sighed. “Ja. Ve should take nap.”

\--

That night, Aila wandered around the house aimlessly. There was still over an hour until Beth was due to call, but the doctor couldn’t sleep. She silently paced up and down the halls as Katja slept, having a million things on her mind.

What would happen if Beth didn’t want to listen to them? What if she looked into Interpol and discovered the murder accusation? Would she believe Aila hadn’t done it? Would she try to arrest her? Plus, what if DYAD was really tracing Beth’s phone calls and Skype calls? Would they show up at the house? Take them all away and lock them up in a lab like Rat kept insisting?

The doctor sighed and made her way towards the kitchen to make some coffee, shaking from her nervousness and her continuous thoughts about all of the what-if’s of the future. She almost wished she could go back to how things were before; back when she was still living in blissful ignorance.

Aila sighed and flopped down at the table, burying her face in her hands as she finally broke down and cried; the fear and desperation she’d been suppressing for weeks finally getting to her. She’d tried so hard to stay calm and positive, but the very idea of anything going wrong with Beth terrified her more than she wanted to admit. There was just so much riding on this going right; on the detective trusting them and not being traced.

The smell of the coffee brewing in the pot helped sooth the doctor a little bit, though she didn’t move to retrieve it. Instead she sat at the table with her head down, her shoulders shaking as she cried, releasing several weeks’ worth of pent up tension, unable to stop now that the dam had broken.

She jumped and looked up quickly when something lightly touched her shoulder, seeing Katja standing over her. The German looked quite sleepy, but she invited herself to sit at the table next to Aila, and simply looked at her.

“Sorry, ignore me,” Aila managed.

“I vill do no such zing,” Katja insisted. “I hear you at night, Aila. I zink vee all do. Zat night in Austria…it vas not just _one_ bad dream, no?”

Aila gripped at her own hair rather hard, resisting the urge to tug it nervously. “I’m _sorry_ ,” she said again, not looking at Katja. “I’ll be fine; I’m just being silly.”

“No, you are not. You are only human, Aila. You cannot be composed always. Even I know zis.” Aila sniffed and wiped some tears away. Katja dared to take her hand, causing the doctor to finally look up. “You helped me. Now I help you.”

Aila sighed, looking down at their joined hands. She wiped her eyes with her free hand. “This…isn’t related to that…I’m just so completely shit-scared of things going wrong with Beth,” she said quietly. “There are so many things that could go wrong, and I just lost it for a minute…”

Katja nodded but said nothing, silently urging the doctor to open up and talk to her properly.

“Sorry about keeping everyone up at night…I hoped it would work itself out by now,” Aila sighed. “But yeah…it’s not just one bad dream…it’s a problem I’ve been dealing with for years. They’re called Recurrent Pattern Nightmares…persistent never-ending dreams that feel so real you’d swear they were. It’s rare... it's kind of like having flashbacks in your sleep. Back home, I dealt with it through use of an experimental dream-suppressant called Hypnocil. It makes it so I don’t dream at _all_. Only thing is…suppressing REM sleep - _dream sleep_ \- for too long has its own repercussions, and suddenly going off of the stuff not only brings them back…but it makes them worse. _A lot_ worse…there’s really not much to do though until the recoil evens itself back out. When that happens, it won't be every single night anymore. Just every few nights. I was thinking about soundproofing my room in the meantime, but…yeah…too obvious…” she said with a hollow laugh. “I don’t like talking about it, but I didn’t exactly prepare for all of this to suddenly happen.”

“Vat happened to you, Aila?” Katja asked. “To cause…all of zis?”

Looking over at the clock, Alia saw they still had quite a bit of time before they’d need to talk to Beth, and she sighed. It’d been a long time since she’d spoken about any of this out loud, but she knew she could trust Katja.

“Well…you already know my mother gave me up for adoption directly after birth for reasons unknown. I don’t remember much about my houses and families growing up. I was tossed in and out of shelters and temporary houses almost every year, sometimes more than once a year. I think I was thirteen when I ended up in an orphanage that became my last. It was called New Haven Sanctuary,” she began, leaning back in her chair as she spoke, even if she kept hold of Katja’s hand.

“It was a very…VERY large house off in the countryside, surrounded by acres of lush green land and forests. It looked like a paradise, but truth was, it was a gilded paradise. It looked pretty on the outside, but scratch the surface and you quickly found out the interior was nothing short of rotten.

“The house was really a front for criminal activity of all sorts. The heads of the company were gang leaders who didn’t give a shite about the orphans they took in to keep up the appearance of being totally innocent. Many of the younger kids were used as pack mules to transport stolen contraband, or worse…” Aila trailed off, shaking her head. “Didn’t have a choice really. It was either do it and get fed, or don’t do it and starve. We were too scared to fight back, but there were so many of us that a lot of times if we hid and said we were off doing other 'useful' things, we could get out of doing the really bad stuff. Not always, but a lot of the time…” Aila's eyes were distant, as if staring into the past itself before she paused and looked up at Katja.

“As kids got older, a lot of them simply joined in with the illegal activity to keep themselves alive. As teenagers, if we were considered useful, we were moved into another large house in the nearby city of New Haven. I was fourteen when I went there, only staying in the nice building for a few months before I was considered too old. I dunno if I was really _useful_ at that point, but they kept me anyways. Maybe because of DYAD...who knows.

“If you kept being useful, you got to keep breathing. If not…well, I don’t think I need to say it. We had a 'territory' I guess you'd call it, an area of the city where we could live and do their work and whatever else we wanted in, but we couldn't leave. There were eyes _everywhere_ , and those who tried to do a runner were shot down. Literally,” Aila told her, shuddering slightly at the memories.

Katja frowned, but remained silent and allowed Aila to continue.

“I was fifteen when my friend Maxine showed me the way up into the attic of the city house to hide away for a while. A few of us started making a habit of going up there when we needed to stay out of the way for a while for whatever reason. There was a lot of stuff covered in dust, and nobody important really went up there anymore, so we felt safe. After looking through things, I came across a huge pile of old textbooks. Medical textbooks. At first I read them because I was curious, but after a while I kept reading them over and over because I was fascinated to no end at the idea of using drugs to help people rather than hurt them.” A small and distant smile appeared on Aila's lips as she recalled the realization that ultimately gave her a new direction in life.

“The pattern nightmares were always there, in a way, but they only got really bad after one particular incident…” the doctor sighed, unconsciously squeezing Katja’s hand tighter. She felt reassured when the German woman squeezed her hand back. “I was sixteen when it happened. One of the higher ups wanted to know where I kept vanishing to, and of course I lied since the attic was literally the only safe place in the house...though the next time I went up there to read, they followed me and weren’t pleased to see me messing about with books that weren’t mine, and for lying…” she trailed off, bringing a hand up to her throat. “Let’s just say things weren’t pleasant for a while…that event is mostly what the nightmares are about.

“It was hard to escape that place, but a few of us managed to when we were eighteen. I'll spare you the grotesque details of that particular shit-storm, but  long story short; we managed to go to the police and get ourselves placed in witness protection in exchange for detailed information about everything that had been going on. Eventually, after a massive investigation, both of the houses got busted and shut down. After that, a lot of us went our separate ways. The younger ones were placed back into the system again, but I wasn't since I was a legal adult. Instead, I started working and saving money, and went to medical school instead. Eventually became an A&E doctor…and well...that’s about it, I think.”

Katja remained quiet for a short while as she let Aila’s story sink in. However disgusted, saddened and angry the German felt for what had happened to the doctor, she found it difficult to express it. Aila was smart enough to know she didn’t deserve what happened. Telling her that would not make it better.

Instead Katja placed her other hand on Aila’s wrist and looked her dead in the eyes. “You are strongest person I know,” she told Aila honestly. “Nobody can take zat avay from you. Not even Beth Childs.”

Aila smiled weakly and hugged the other clone for a moment before pulling away. “C’mon,” she said. “We should go get ready to meet her.”

\--

“I have got her!” Katja exclaimed. “Look! She ez typing!”

Aila hurried over to where Katja was sitting with her laptop, almost knocking over their cups of coffee in the process. As Aila straightened up the items on the table to prevent a hazard occurring, Katja rapidly typed away in response to Beth’s greeting.

“What’s she saying?” Aila asked.

“Just confirming zat I am Katja Obinger,” Katja said automatically. She concentrated on the chat box and typed once more.

‘ _Ja_ _…_ _I mean yes, this is Katja,_ ’ was the message she sent.

‘ _What exactly is it that you want?_ ’ Beth typed back. ‘ _You said we might be related. Can you provide proof of this?_ ’

Katja hesitated, and then looked at Aila, lost. Aila bit her lip. “Only thing we can do is show her the files, but we don’t have a scanner to upload them. And even if we did, sending DYAD files online is NOT a good idea. Not if DYAD are watching. They’ll lock poor Leigh away forever…”

“DYAD does not know Leigh took zeir files?” Katja asked, and Aila shrugged.

“I don’t think so. They know Leigh decided to bugger off and meet clones, but I don’t know if they’re aware she took copies of the files. Then again, maybe they _do_ know. Shit, I have no idea.”

“Vell,” Katja said thoughtfully, pausing a bit, “Leigh ez in deep enough trouble vith zem anyvay. Ve still remain undetected vhatever action vee take, ja?”

“Aye, but not if DYAD are spying on this Skype call,” Aila reminded her with raised eyebrows.

“So? Beth ez cop. Vee tell her vat vee know, get her on camera and show her zese files, and zen convince her to do somezing about remaining undetected. If she takes zis seriously enough, she vill get avay before DYAD come looking for her.”

“And what if she doesn’t?” Aila asked uncertainly.

Katja frowned a bit. “I do not know,” she admitted quietly. Aila thought Katja even looked a little scared.

“Maybe we hold off on showing her the files for now,” Aila suggested. “If we have to, we can send her physical copies rather than do it online.”

“Ja,” Katja nodded. The screen caught her attention again when Beth sent another impatient message.

‘ _Hello? I don_ _’_ _t appreciate my time being wasted, so please respond with evidence before I block you._ ’

The German woman started typing quickly. ‘ _Sorry, yes we can prove it, though calling will be proof too. You will understand when you see us._ ’

‘ _Us? I thought it was just you?_ ’ Beth typed back.

Katja hesitated, forgetting Aila didn’t speak to Beth on the phone, though rather than answer the detective with words, Katja simply started up a video call and hoped the detective was at least curious enough to answer.

Aila settled in next to Katja and sipped her coffee as she waited, wondering if the detective would pick up at all after several minutes. Just when Skype was asking if they wanted to leave a video message, the call was answered.

For a few minutes, all was silent as Beth took in the image of the two women who looked identical to her. Aila smiled awkwardly and waved. Beth had long brown, perfectly straight hair, and she reminded Aila a bit of the photograph they had of Aryanna. Beth's eyes were far more intense though, and were filled with surprise and suspicion.

Beth leaned back with her arms crossed, and Aila could almost see the gears turning in her mind. “Well…” Beth started, her eyes darting back and forth between the two. “You have my attention now. What the fuck is this all about?” she asked, sounding casual but interested.

Aila held her breath. This had been her exact reaction too when Leigh found her all those weeks ago. “A-are you alone?” Aila asked nervously.

Beth narrowed her eyes. “No, I just agreed to a weirdass call with a bunch of even weirder strangers with my boyfriend present,” she said with so much sarcasm the doctor was reminded of Rat. “Of course I’m alone. I’m not dragging other people into whatever the shit this is until I know what it’s all about.”

“Your boyfriend Paul?” Katja asked, eyebrows raised.

Beth scoffed and laughed forcefully in response, and shook her head in disbelief. “Look,” she said seriously, “just get to the point. You obviously know something I don’t. Whatever it is, quit pissing about and tell me.”

If Aila wasn’t scared for Beth’s reaction before, she certainly was now. Before she could even think about offering some sort of explanation, Katja began talking. She was slow enough to allow Beth to take it all in, but stern enough to let the detective know she was deadly serious.

A ringing silence followed once Katja finished. Beth was looking very disturbed. “So…” she began slowly, sounding as though she was carrying out a police interrogation. “You’re telling me we’re not _related_ per say…but rather we’re illegal human clones…and I might be in danger because somebody is hunting down my genetic identicals all over Europe, though there are apparently people like us all over the world…is that right?”

“Ja,” Katja confirmed as she nodded.

“We know how crazy it sounds,” Aila said.

Beth leaned forward, thinking. “Hypothetically…if I were to use the police database to run facial recognition against my own face, I might find other…‘clones’…closer to my location?” she asked, sounding genuinely curious.

Katja shrugged. “You might, yes. I don’t know exactly how many others are in Canada.”

“Look, if you need more proof, we’re happy to provide evidence,” Aila told her, hoping she wasn’t sounding too desperate to get on the detective’s good side. “Only it’s not safe to send it online; we might be being watched.”

“Ve can send copies of files to you under a false name,” Katja suggested.

Beth nodded. “Obviously official documents and evidence would be appreciated and valued,” she agreed. “And this killer? Who _is_ it?”

“She’s called Helena,” Katja explained, “though ve know next to nothing about her. Ve _zink_ zat she might be anozer clone, but vee can't be certain yet.”

“Only thing we know is that she’s a religious nutter who thinks clones are abominations to God,” Aila added. “And she’s working for a group called-”

Aila stopped, distracted by her phone. It had started ringing, so she took it out of her pocket.

“It’s Leigh,” she informed Katja. “Sorry,” she told Beth, who looked vaguely curious and confused. “Another clone – sorry – I should take this.”

Katja nodded and allowed Aila to cross the room to talk to Leigh. Aila made sure the German continued to explain the situation to Beth before taking the call.

“Leigh? What’s up?”

The hairdresser did not respond for a second. Aila thought for a moment Leigh had accidentally pressed a button on her phone with it in her pocket and had failed to notice.

But then Leigh talked. Or rather, she slurred. “Aila…shit…” She sounded either tired or drunk. Aila wasn’t sure which.

“Leigh, what’s wrong? Why are you up at nearly half two in the morning?” Aila asked, concerned.

“Can’t sleep…shit, did I wake you? Sorry…” Leigh said, her voice trailing off.

“No, no, you’re fine. I was up,” Aila reassured her quickly. “Katja and I are both awake. What happened? Are you alright?” the doctor asked, making her way to her room to sit on her bed and talk so Katja and Beth could continue to converse.

“Sorry,” Leigh spoke numbly. “It’s just…I didn’t know who else to call.”

“Leigh, just spit it out. You’re scaring me now,” Aila told her. “Did something happen with Rat, or Aryanna? Oh please don’t tell me somebody’s hurt-”

“No, no, it’s nothing like that,” Leigh promised her. “Um…I think I’m missing having someone friendly to talk to.”

Aila sighed a bit. “You’re not getting on with Rat, are you? I knew this would be a bad idea…”

“She…” Leigh began, voice trembling now. “She just…earlier she…she’s _fucking_ with my head, Aila…”

“What do you mean?” Aila asked.

“About _Rachel!_ ” Leigh cried down the phone. “Shit, I’m sorry, I…I was gonna call Rachel…I really need to talk to her, but it’s not safe…I just…I needed to talk to _someone_ about this, and I dunno if Rat is lying…if she’s making shit up…”

“You know I’m always here for ya,” the doctor said gently. “What exactly did she say?”

“She…s-she said that Rachel…that Rachel’s my _sister_ …” Leigh all but whimpered.

Aila raised an eyebrow, surprised. “Really? Could that be a possibility?” she asked carefully, sensing how distressed Leigh was.

“NO! I mean I don’t…shit I don’t even KNOW anymore,” the hairdresser sobbed. “I don’t trust her though. She HAS to be fucking with me! Rachel CAN’T be my sister!”

Aila sighed. Making Rat and Leigh spend time together wasn’t going to be a good plan right from the start, though she tried to stay neutral. “Calm down…look, you can’t really contact Rachel. You said yourself she’d probably sell us out…hmm…what about your parents? Could you like…I dunno…call them from a public payphone or something? Or maybe ask...well…ask Rat to set up a secure connection for a video call? I know that’s not ideal for you, but it’d be the only way.” 

Leigh just sighed miserably. “Is it a bad thing if it’s true?” Aila dared to venture further. “I mean, you keep saying you miss her and implying you guys are close…” she said, trying to choose her words tactfully.

“I…we weren’t…I mean we’re not close, not really,” Leigh managed after a moment of silence. “Well, not anymore. I mean, it’s not like I _hate_ her or anything; I just…she’s _difficult_ _¸_ you know? I dunno how she’d react to this, or if she’d even _care,_ because she doesn’t seem to care about anything…oh shit, what if Rachel knows? What if she knew this all along?”

“Leigh, you need to try and calm yourself down,” Aila advised her. “I understand how confusing and upsetting it must be, but-”

“No,” Leigh interrupted. “I know, Aila…I know. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have called like this…I just freaked.”

“It’s OK,” Aila assured her. “Just _please_ don’t do anything daft like _calling_ Rachel. It’d compromise _everything-_ ”

“I won’t. I’m not that stupid,” Leigh told her, sighing.

Aila smiled. “You gonna be OK?”

“Yeah,” Leigh told her quickly. “Yeah…just…just forget I called. I’ll sort it out. I always do. Thanks, Aila…”

Leigh hung up before Aila could respond. The doctor looked at her phone and sighed, running a hand through her hair before putting it back in her pocket. She made her way back out to the living room and sat down beside Katja again. “Sorry about that.”

“Everyzing ok?” Katja asked, tilting her head.

“Eeeh, I have no idea,” Aila said, shrugging. “Just drama between Leigh and Rat. They’ll sort it out, hopefully.”

Katja rolled her eyes and shook her head, before turning her attention back to the detective. “I vas just telling Beth how vee all ended up meeting and vhat vee are doing to try to save clones.”

Aila put a half-hearted smile on and nodded, though her thoughts were still lingering on Leigh. She hoped the hairdresser would be OK.

\--

The following morning, Katja was woken up much earlier than she would have liked by the sounds of an incoming Skype call. She tried to ignore the noise for as long as possible, but on the fourth call she groaned loudly and sat up, wiping the sleep from her eyes as she yawned. Her hair was even messier than it normally was, and the bright morning sun momentarily blinded her.

The German woman muttered and blindly felt around for her laptop and slowly dragged it forward as her eyes adjusted to the brightness. She clicked the button to answer the call, still squinting. “Vhat reason could you possibly be having for vaking me up at…vhatever time it ez?” she muttered, unable to make out the blurry numbers of the laptop’s clock just yet.

Rat raised an eyebrow and shook her head at the state of Katja. “It’s nearly noon,” she said flatly.

“And I vas up talking to Beth at two in zee morning,” Katja mumbled. “I have excuse to be sleeping all day. Vat do you need?”

“I…erm… _may_ have crossed a line…” the hacker said, trying to keep at least some dignity even as she looked over at something off the screen.

Katja sighed, rubbing her eyes. “Voo are you and vat have you done vith Rat?” she mumbled.

“Very funny,” Rat muttered, rolling her eyes. “Well…last night, I was _trying_ to do as you asked and, upon being asked, attempted to explain why I have trouble trusting Leigh, and incidentally revealed some information about her that she apparently didn’t actually know…aaaaaand she’s been staring out the window ever since. I can’t get her to move.”

“Try apologizing?” Katja said, looking rather unimpressed.

Rat clenched her jaw and looked away. “I _did_. There was no response.”

“Try giving her beer,” Katja suggested, shrugging.

Rat stared. “It’s _nearly noon,_ ” she repeated. “And I’m pretty sure she drank a load last night.”

“Go to store and buy her cookies; I dunno…” Katja said with a dismissive wave of her hand.

“Katja, it may have escaped your notice, but cookies are not the answer to life’s great tragedies,” Rat groaned in exasperation. “They don’t solve _everything._ ”

“Vat exactly did you say to her?” Katja asked curiously, ignoring Rat’s comment about the cookies. “Vat is so tragic zat it can’t be solved with a simple apology and some-”

“ _Don_ _’_ _t_ say cookies,” Rat warned her seriously. “I…I dunno if I should tell you what happened…”

Katja raised her eyebrows. “Rat. I cannot help if you do not talk. I am not mind reader.”

Rat sighed and rubbed her forehead irritably. “Apparently she had no idea that Duncan is her sister,” she said in a much quieter voice. “I didn’t believe her at first but…but…this kind of…emotion... _can_ _’_ _t_ be faked. I have never seen her like this.”

Katja was looking very curious and concerned now, despite her sleepy state. “She did not know? I always zought she did…from zee vay she mentions her, I mean…how could she not know…”

“I don’t know,” Rat shook her head as she spoke. “But I wouldn’t put it past Leekie to screw with her and Rachel like…like he did with us. Katja, _don_ _’_ _t_ tell Leigh you knew about this. She’s traumatized enough as it is…”

Rat glanced over at the sound of a phone ringing and raised an eyebrow. “Leigh, are you _going_ to answer your phone, or just let it ring all day?” she asked dryly, looking unimpressed. “That’s the third time in the hour it’s been ignored.”

Just then, Katja glanced over as Aila entered the room. “Morning,” the doctor greeted her before looking down at her own phone. “I can’t get hold of Leigh…I was worried about her after last night, but she’s not picking up…”

“Mein Gott…” Katja said, becoming more awake now. “Zis is more serious zan I zought…” She shifted over so Aila could sit down and speak with the hacker as well.

“What’s going on?” Aila asked, frowning.

“See for yourself,” Rat grunted, turning the laptop around to show Leigh pacing back and forth in front of the window like a zombie. “She’s been at it for six hours.”

“Oh…shit a brick,” Aila blurted out rather uncharacteristically, earning an alarmed glare from Katja. “Yeah, she called me last night about…”

“About Rachel friggin' Duncan,” Rat sighed.

Katja frowned. “And _vhy_ vas I zee last to know about all of zis?” she asked, but Aila rolled her eyes.

“Because you were busy talking with Beth Childs until gone four, and then you _passed out asleep on the desk_ as soon as the call finished, and I had to _drag you to bed-_ ”

“You guys spoke to Childs?”

The question came from Leigh rather than Rat. The hairdresser had turned her attention to Rat’s laptop and was now approaching so she could talk to everyone. Aila could tell Leigh was mentally and physically worn out, but she appeared to be using the topic of Beth as a distraction.

“Leigh,” Aila began, but Leigh stopped her.

“I’m fine; honest, I’m fine. I’ve decided it doesn’t matter. I can’t do anything while I’m here, so what’s the point, right?” She forced a little laugh, and Rat simply stared at her as if she'd grown another head. “How’d it go with Childs?”

“Err…fine,” Aila said cautiously, mildly disturbed by how exhausted Leigh looked. “She was actually pretty cool about the whole thing, and was going to look into finding more clones in North America. She said she’d call us if she found anything.”

Leigh nodded. “She wasn’t freaked out?”

“Didn’t seem to be, but then again she’s a detective. I guess she’s used to keeping a level head when faced with shocking news,” Aila said, shrugging.

Katja nodded along. “Ja, she vants to help vorn clones, and is going to find clones using the police face-identify…thingie.”

“Elegantly put…” Rat said, to which Katja merely stuck out her tongue good-naturedly.

“And Lucas?” Leigh asked.

“Erm…we had to let him go,” Aila told them.

“ _Why?_ ” Rat snapped.

“Well we couldn’t really _force_ him to stay, could we?” Aila sighed. “He wanted to make sure Maggie Chen doesn’t find us; so I dunno, he said he’d throw her off our trail…”

“And you believed him,” Leigh finished for her.

A pause followed.

“He has not given us a reason to _not_ trust him,” Katja shrugged. “So far all he has told us has been proven true. If vee do not trust _anyone_ , vee vill surely fail. Vee can’t keep doing things by ourselves…ja?”

Leigh rubbed her own forehead. It was clear she was far too tired to disagree. Apparently, so was Rat.

“How’re the dogs?” the hacker asked instead, trying to keep a controlled and calm voice.

“Zey are fine,” Katja assured her. “Charles sleeps all day and Bianca runs around like energizer bunny. Vee play fetch vith ball.”

“Typical,” Rat said, still looking annoyed.

“How goes the situation with Aryanna?” Aila asked, shifting uncomfortably as she sat, feeling the tension between the clones.

Rat shrugged. “She called in sick to work today, but she’s still alive as far as I can tell. We haven’t been out yet though, and she hasn’t tried to make contact.”

“She called in sick?” Leigh asked. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I _did,_ ” Rat snapped irritably. “You were too busy staring off into the abyss to respond.”

Leigh grimaced at this comment, as though reminded of the very thing she'd been trying to distract herself from. Aila watched her on the screen, wondering if she might cry.

“We’ll be in touch again later,” Leigh said quickly as she reached over for the keys on Rat’s laptop. Rat glared at her with such a furious expression it was a wonder Leigh didn’t even notice. “We’ll have spoken to Aryanna by the end of the day.”

“But-”

“But nothing Aila,” Leigh interrupted. “We need to keep moving forward, so that is what we’ll do. Catch you later.”

The call ended. Katja and Aila exchanged glances.

“She ez trying to focus on anyzing but…”

“But Rachel,” Aila finished, nodding. “Yeah. I just hope she won’t do anything stupid because of it.”


	12. Chapter 11

Rat grumbled and put her laptop away, before looking back at Leigh, who was back at the window again. After a moment, the hacker sighed and her expression softened very slightly. Though she was too proud to admit it, she felt bad about what had happened. She’d been so sure Leigh knew all along, but she’d been wrong and had ended up causing damage without meaning to. Even though she’d made an awkward attempt to apologize, it seemed Leigh wouldn’t say anything else about it for now.

Putting everything she needed in her bag, Rat glanced over at Leigh. “Hey. We should eat, and then figure out how to approach Aryanna at home,” she suggested evenly, checking over the money she’d brought with her. Leigh made a sound of vague agreement, and made her way towards the door. Rat blinked. “Um, your bag?”

“Fuck’s sake…” the hairdresser sighed, turning around to grab the bag.

Rat watched her in silence, mildly disturbed by the zombie-like display. Did finding out she had a sister really cut that deep? Or was it just because her sister was the head of DYAD? Did she even know that much? Or was she really kept ignorant about what Rachel was in all ways?

“Where do you want to eat?” Rat asked.

Leigh shrugged. “I’m not particularly hungry,” she responded. “So it’s up to you.”

Rat could only stare at Leigh in disbelief. From what she’d seen, Leigh usually had a large appetite, so this was beyond strange now.

After another half an hour so, the two of them found themselves in a small, local café for some food. Rat ordered, and managed to convince Leigh to buy something too, but Leigh barely touched her meal. The atmosphere was growing more awkward by the minute, and Rat’s discomfort at the situation only increased the more she tried to put aside what had happened.

“For God’s sake, will you just _eat_ something,” she told Leigh sternly. “Seriously, I’m not having you passing out from lack of food later when we’re faced with Aryanna; it’ll be such an _inconvenience…_ ”

Leigh didn’t even bother arguing. She picked up her sandwich and took a few large bites before setting it down on her plate again. Rat continued to stare.

“What?” Leigh asked her.

“This is just…it’s awkward. _I’m_ awkward. Oh…damn it,” Rat muttered to herself.

“I was going to suggest calling Aryanna before going to her house, but then I remembered she can’t talk,” Leigh grinned a bit, choosing to ignore Rat’s comment. “So I suppose risking it and just _going_ there is our only option.”

“Leigh,” Rat said firmly. “I don’t like you _like this_.”

“You don’t like me full stop,” Leigh reminded her bitterly. She looked directly at Rat at last.

“I didn’t mean…look, about Rachel…”

“Forget Rachel. She’s not important,” Leigh snapped.

“She _is_ if DYAD’s well and truly screwed you and her over like they do everything else,” Rat insisted.

“Doesn’t change the fact we’re on the run from a killer, does it?” Leigh asked.

Rat sighed, leaned back, and chose to fall silent for now. Attempting to be somewhat nice was making things awkward and more frustrating. At the very least Leigh had eaten something, so hopefully she’d hold out the rest of the day.

Shaking her head, the hacker opened her bag and pulled out the maps of Rome that Aila had drawn up. Aryanna’s house was marked, so Rat tried to locate the diner they were at. After several minutes of looking at street names and tracing the path they’d taken from the hotel, she found their current location.

“Alright, if we catch a taxi, we should be able to get there in a half hour. Only question is what to do once there. Do we do a Katja and just walk right up to the door? Or hang back and just observe from a distance?” she muttered, glancing up at Leigh.

Leigh shrugged. “She’ll probably end up calling the cops no matter what at this rate. She knows where the hotel is, you said, so… I dunno, maybe hang back for now and keep an eye out for trouble around the building? Don’t wanna get arrested or scare her off again. Don’t wanna meet up with her monitor either, in case she’s not as understanding as Selena was.”

“Yeah,” Rat agreed, looking around before she took out Aryanna’s file. She looked up the information on Aryanna’s monitor. “Monitor’s name is Alessi DeLaurentis. She works as a crime scene investigator full time, and was a former ADA before becoming a CSI. Greeeeeat….” she sighed and rubbed her eyes. “Just what we needed. A monitor with some degree of authority and influence.”

“Shouldn’t you have known that already?” Leigh muttered, poking at her food absently.

Rat glared at her. “Since meeting you people, I’ve been doing twenty things at once every day, and the last two days have been more focused on reading about Aryanna rather than her assigned DYAD puppet,” she said, trying to keep her voice low and even.

Leigh just sighed. “Let’s just hope she gets called out to some scene and works late.”

Rat stared at Leigh for a moment. Even though she didn’t trust Leigh, it was unnerving to see her looking so…broken. Rat sighed heavily again and gathered up the maps and files to put them away.

Katja and Aila would know what to do if they were here. They would be able fix this somehow, or at least make it better. Rat just seemed to make it worse, so she kept her mouth shut and paid for their food, ignoring Leigh’s protests about doing so.

“Let’s just call a taxi and get to it while we can. We’ll figure out how to approach her when we get there,” the hacker said, before turning and walking out of the diner.

\--

“What a friggin' _waste_ of a day,” Leigh complained that evening.

She and Rat dragged themselves over the road towards their hotel as the sun started to set. Both them were completely deflated after the day’s events. They had tried and failed to observe Aryanna’s house without looking suspicious, only for Leigh to lose her patience and finally decide to make their presence known. Either Aryanna refused to answer when Leigh knocked, or nobody had been home, for there was no response during the whole three hours the clones hung around, and finally, they had given up.

“Not like we could _break into her house_ though, was it?” Rat scoffed.

“I’d never do something _that_ drastic,” Leigh assured her.

“DYAD would.”

“Yeah,” Leigh agreed bitterly, nodding her head. “DYAD _would_. And I'm not DYAD.”

“Well…if she doesn’t want to listen, we can’t exactly force her,” Rat sighed. She sounded genuinely lost on what to do.

“So we just leave her to be tracked down and hunted?” Leigh asked.

Rat shook her head, but shrugged. “No…I just…say if she _does_ listen. What then?”

Leigh remained quiet for a moment while they approached the hotel. She stopped when they were in front of it and sighed. “I don’t know,” she admitted, and she sounded very insecure. “I’m not even sure what I was hoping to accomplish when I set out to do…all of _this._ Can’t expect them to just drop their lives and go into hiding like me and Aila did…I know it’s not possible; not really…”

“Perhaps our focus should be on finding the _killer_ and putting a stop to _her_ ,” Rat suggested. “As for the other clones, the _only_ thing we can do is _warn_ them there’s a killer on the loose. The rest, whether they go into hiding, or chose to ignore our warning…well, that has to be up to _them_.”

Leigh nodded. Rat was right. She hated it when Rat was right. “I know,” she muttered.

The two of them quietly entered the hotel, and Leigh busied herself with thoughts of Beth Childs and the advantages of having someone like her on their side. If catching and stopping the killer was the answer, Beth would be a great asset to them.

Just as Leigh was thinking about calling Aila to discuss this with her later on, she looked up when Rat exclaimed something incoherent in surprise. Leigh looked over at the waiting area of the hotel.

There, standing up from one of the seats, staring right at them, was Aryanna. The Italian clone looked rather nervous as she looked at her genetic identicals, obviously very unsure about being there.

Rat put on a small smile as she cautiously approached. “Hey, Aryanna. Um…have you been waiting here long?” she asked, feeling a strange mix of relief, awkwardness, and nervousness.

Aryanna signed something to them, and Rat raised an eyebrow. “Three hours? Wait, so that means that…” she trailed off, resisting the urge to face-palm.

Leigh narrowed her eyes, gritting her teeth. If she wasn’t happy before, she was livid now, even though it wasn’t Aryanna’s fault that their afternoon had been wasted. Hers had been wasted as well. “That’s _just_ our fucking luck,” the hairdresser scorned before turning and making her way to the elevators.

Aryanna flinched and shrank back from Leigh’s harsh tone, looking to Rat for some type of explanation.

“Ignore her. She’s had a bad day,” Rat sighed, shaking her head as she rubbed her eyes. “Sorry… _I’m_ really glad you decided to come find us. We have a lot of important things to tell you.”

Aryanna signed something to Rat, who smirked.

“No, she’s not always like that. Don’t worry,” she muttered, holding a hand out. “I’m Rat. The other one’s Leigh. Does anyone else know you’re here? Or know about us?”

Aryanna shook her head and signed again. _‘No. They warned me not to see you, but I was curious of you.’_

Rat nodded. “I see. Alright then, we should head up to the room to talk. If Leigh starts with her mood again, I’ll kick her,” she muttered, to which Aryanna gave a small smile and nodded.

\--

Explaining the situation to Aryanna wasn’t as difficult as Leigh thought it might be. She half expected Aryanna to freak out and try to leave, but she was strangely still as Rat booted up the laptop to get in touch with Katja.

“I know it’s scary as shit,” Leigh told Aryanna while they waited. Something about this girl’s shy demeanour made Leigh feel genuinely bad for the situation she was now in; more so than any of the others she'd met so far. “And I’m sorry…we just thought you had a right to know.”

Aryanna simply nodded. She looked rather pale. Leigh frowned.

“Do you want a drink?” she asked her. Aryanna looked up at her curiously. “I have like…beer and stuff.”

“For God’s sake,” Rat muttered, rolling her eyes. “Is that really wise with the _state_ you got yourself into last night?”

“It was nothing,” Leigh said automatically after seeing the alarmed look on Aryanna’s face. “Just…ignore Rat. She over exaggerates.”

Rat laughed the loudest laugh Leigh had ever heard from her. “She’s full of crap, Aryanna.” She shook her head in disbelief as she spoke. “Ah, here we go. How’s it going Katja?”

The German’s face lit up her laptop screen. She appeared to be eating. “Rattyrat,” Katja greeted her. “Leigh hung over yet?”

“I’m perfectly _fine_ , thank you,” Leigh called loudly and irritably. “We have Aryanna with us.”

Katja perked up, looking much more curious at the mention of the Italian’s name.

“We thought we’d let her…‘meet’ you and Aila, just to confirm everything we’ve told her about clones,” Rat continued. She turned the laptop so the camera could capture Aryanna’s face. The mute anxiously raised a hand to signal a wave at Katja, who waved right back.

“Hallo,” she said casually. “I hope zose two are not bringing you down vith zeir constant drama – _HEY!_ ”

Katja appeared to fall off whichever chair she was sitting on, causing the three other clones to exchange confused and alarmed glances. After a moment, it became apparent Katja was struggling with something. Playful yapping could be heard, and Katja sounded angry.

“YOUR DOG EZ A _ZIEF!_ ” she shrieked, chasing the animal away from the laptop.

“Erm…” Rat said blankly.

“You nick my cookie, I smack your face!” Katja could be heard yelling.

“You better NOT smack my dog!” Rat shouted angrily now. “Do it, and I’ll smack YOUR face when I get back there!”

Aryanna looked half amused and half scared, while Leigh simply buried her face in her hands. After several minutes, Katja reappeared, looking rather annoyed. “Bianca needs to be better trained. She does not know zee meanings of 'sit' and 'stay',” she grumbled.

“She wasn’t raised to listen to English,” Rat said, rolling her eyes slightly. “You _know_ that. Say 's'asseoir' and 'rester', and she’ll do it.”

Aryanna shook her head and carefully picked up her file. Leigh had given it to her previously, and Aryanna frowned at the idea of being watched all the time for the purpose of some experiment.

Leigh glanced over at her and frowned. “You OK?”

Aryanna looked up at Leigh and nodded quietly, absently looking over the file. She pointed something out to Leigh, who moved to see what it was, reading through a paragraph  describing Aryanna's accident in vivid detail.

Leigh nodded. “Yeah, that’s what made it so you can’t talk, right? Something about a piece of shrapnel damaging your vocal chords?” Aryanna nodded, pulling back her hair slightly to show several light scars running along her throat. Leigh frowned. “Do you remember that happening at all?”

The Italian clone shook her head, looked back to the file. She seemed interested in reading about it since she couldn’t remember it herself.

Then came the part when Aryanna realised she was being monitored by her girlfriend.

Leigh could only watch as the clone struggled with herself. She appeared to be holding back the urge to express confusion and anger. She looked as though she might cry. Leigh didn’t know what to say.

Rat, who was still busy talking with Katja, appeared not to have noticed, and suddenly beckoned Aryanna over to introduce her to Aila. “Aila’s here now,” she said, still not taking her eyes off the screen. “She’s from Scotland.”

“Hello,” Aila’s voice greeted everyone from the laptop. Aryanna shifted closer to wave, biting back her tears. Leigh stood up and made her way to the small fridge in the room. A moment later, she returned with some beers and handed one to Aryanna.

“Go on,” she said gently. She had no idea what else to say or do to help, and Aryanna took the bottle after hesitating.

Rat rolled her eyes. “This drunken idiot is a _bad_ influence,” she spoke loudly.

“Is Leigh on the beer _again?_ ” Aila asked.

“Look, we could all do with chilling out a bit, yeah?” Leigh said, shrugging. “Even you, Rat. Here, take one.” She tossed a bottle at Rat, and it landed softly on the sofa she was sitting on. Rat glared at it as if it caused her great offense.

“One bottle won’t kill you,” Leigh told her.

“I don’t drink, ” Rat muttered, kicking the bottle away. “Go be a piss head by yourself.”

Leigh rolled her eyes. “Oh come on, loosen up a bit,” she said, rolling the bottle towards Rat again.

Aryanna watched the display with wide eyes. She set her unopened bottle aside, choosing instead to go back to reading her file, though she looked up again a moment later as the two carried on arguing.

“Leigh, _drop it_ with the friggin' beer!” Rat hissed. “Get it through your skull! I _don’t drink_ , _period!_ ”

The Italian clone frowned, feeling uncomfortable and nervous. She moved to sit on the far side of the room with her file instead, keeping her head down as she did.

Meanwhile, Katja and Aila both shook their heads, sighing in exasperation.

“Fine, more for me then,” Leigh gave up. She snatched the bottle back and set it down on a side table. “Either of you spoken to Beth again today?”

“Not today, no,” Aila told her. “We were considering trying her on Skype again actually. Then again, she’s a busy detective isn’t she? And she _did_ say she’d get back in touch…”

“Yeah, leave her for another day or so,” Rat agreed.

“Although,” Leigh spoke up again, suddenly remembering what she and Rat had discussed earlier. “I had a thought…”

“Oh God,” Rat began.

“Shut up,” Leigh snapped. “Earlier we agreed we should _stop_ this killer instead of just running from her all the time. I was wondering if Beth might be able to help.”

A short pause followed.

“It’s possible,” Aila said, nodding.

“Ve vill discuss it ven she next calls,” Katja agreed.

“Yeah…just be _careful_ ,” Rat warned them.

“Alvays am, Rat,” Katja said simply.

Rat rubbed her forehead. “Right. Well, we’ll let you go for now. Call us again when you’ve spoken with Childs.”

The call ended abruptly. Rat set aside her laptop to observe Leigh and Aryanna. Leigh appeared to be watching the Italian too, apparently unsure of how to respond now it was obvious Aryanna could no longer hold back the overwhelming confusion that struck her. Her face was damp with tears.

Leigh looked to Rat for help, but Rat felt just as helpless. Aryanna felt their concerned eyes on her and frowned, signing something quickly.

Rat shook her head. “No need to be sorry,” she said gently. “You’re fine…”

Leigh nodded. “Yeah…I know it’s a lot to take in.” She frowned, not really sure how to help. She crossed the room to sit on the edge of the bed where Aryanna had perched herself. “Is there anything in particular that’s upset you, or..?”

Aryanna bit her lip hard, her hands trembling as she signed the letters of a name.

Rat nodded. “Alessi...yeah…sadly, everyone has someone who watches them,” she sighed. “It’s part of DYAD’s whole sick experiment, though it’s hard to say who wants to do it and who’s being forced. A lot of times it seems like they find dirt on people and make them do it. Alessi might not even know about clones.”

Leigh glanced at the hacker, surprised for a moment. She was sure Rat would go off on one with her hatred for DYAD as usual, but she was thankful for the hacker's willingness to put that aside for the time being to soothe Aryanna instead.

Aryanna didn’t look convinced, but she nodded and closed the file. She slid it back over towards Leigh. She didn’t want to read anymore, looking hurt and betrayed even as she considered what Rat had said.

Leigh took the file and put it back in her bag quietly, not sure what else to do for the moment as she sipped her beer.

\--

The following week went by without much incident, and so Rat and Leigh decided to return to Appenzell for the time being. Aryanna told them she could handle the situation with her monitor, and promised to keep in touch through Skype.

For the most part, Katja was pleased with the outcome of the trip, and though Rat and Leigh weren’t close to being friends yet, they could at least hold a basic conversation before resorting to jests and insults.

The clones continued talking to Beth on and off, and the detective told them she was planning to meet another Canadian clone named Alison soon. In the meantime, they decided to hold off on trying to meet Danielle and instead tried to find a way to track down Helena and the other Proletheans.

They’d sent Beth and Aryanna clone phones and taught them the riddle that had become the official code between clones. Mailing something to someone under a false name was surprisingly easy to do, and of course Aila insisted that both phones have pink cases as well.

Aila walked into the living room one afternoon, and noticed Katja lying on the sofa with her eyes closed. An untouched packet of cookies lay on the table. Aila watched the German for a moment, noticing that breathing sounding slightly strained and uneven. This wasn’t the first time she’d noticed it, but so far she hadn’t said anything about it.

The doctor sat down on the chair near the sofa, and Katja opened one eye at the sound. “Hallo,” she said with a smile.

“Hey…” Aila said, looking at her calmly. “Feeling OK? Normally you have the half packet eaten by now.”

“I am saving zem for later,” Katja said with a shrug. “Our money sources…I am zinking vee must be careful or vee vill start to run out. I cannot be buying so many cookies all zee time, so now I am trying to make zem last.”

“Good point, and one I agree with,” Aila nodded. “But…are you sure you’re OK?” Katja said nothing. “You’re not looking too good,” Aila continued.

Katja let out a short sigh. “I have cold coming on. It vill pass. Hey, I zink I hear Skype…”

Katja forced herself up and scrambled around for her laptop. It was sitting on the coffee table before the sofa, and the incoming call told her Beth was attempting to make contact. “Hallo Beth,” Katja greeted her when she answered.

Beth was looking rather tired, but determined. “Ladies,” she greeted them curtly. “Just updating you on the Alison situation.”

As though automatic, Leigh and Rat appeared from either end of the house, apparently aware of the Skype call. They both drifted over to where Katja was sitting and curiously waited for Beth’s report.

“Did you meet her?” Aila asked. Beth gave a short nod.

“And?” Rat urged her.

Beth sighed. “She tried to punch me in the face and then ran off screaming,” she said seriously.

Everyone stared.

“Then what?” Aila asked.

“I ended up chasing her into some dodgy back alley down town just to get her to _listen_ to me. I had to make sure she didn’t go blabbing to the cops, didn’t I?”

“You _are_ a cop!” Leigh reminded her.

Beth rolled her eyes. “Yes, but _Alison_ didn’t know that, and just because I’m a cop doesn’t mean I can’t be arrested for harassment!” she said urgently.

“Well did you manage to convince her or not?” Leigh asked.

“She’s proving to be difficult,” Beth said bitterly. “However, she agreed to meet me again tomorrow evening somewhere discrete, but to be honest, I think she’s _scared_ more than she is aggressive. She seemed _very_ high strung.”

While they talked, Rat dragged her own laptop over to her and lifted to lid to search for something. Curiously, she pulled up Alison Hendrix’s file. Leigh noticed and peered over Rat’s shoulder, raising her eyebrows at the very pink-clothed clone photographed on the file.

“Jesus,” Leigh breathed, struggling to hide her amusement. “She looks like a bitchy version of Aila.”

Aila heard this and raised an eyebrow, glancing over to see what Leigh was on about. “Oi, I resent that,” she said, giving the hairdresser a light smack on the back of the head. “She has _very_ good taste in clothing.”

Leigh grinned. “Does _not_. Pink is awful,” she said, giggling as she avoided another smack.

Rat looked between the two, before shaking her head and scrolling down through Alison’s profile. “Well I don’t know about bitchy, but from what I can gather, she’s a typical stay-at-home soccer mom who has two adopted children and a husband.”

Beth raised an eyebrow. “Where exactly are you getting your information?”

“Places,” Rat grunted, still scanning through Alison’s profile. “Oh…seems she’s got a record of threatening to use melee weapons on people when she feels threatened...particularly golf clubs. Best be careful when meeting her.”

“Noted,” Beth muttered. “Though I’d still like to know what source you’re referencing.”

“Rat hacks,” Katja said with a shrug.

Rat shot her an alarmed glare. “Don’t tell the friggin' cop THAT!” she snapped. “I’d rather NOT go to jail, thank you.”

Beth shook her head, looking bemused. “Since I’m off duty, I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.”

“Find out anything about Proletheans yet?” Katja asked curiously.

Beth shook her head. “I’m working on it. Your guess is as good as mine as to where this Helena weirdo is at the minute. It seems she’s _very_ good at keeping hidden.”

“Yeah, and that’s what makes her even scarier,” Aila nearly whispered.

“Mhm. You might be interested to know I found info on another American clone though, but I’m holding off on meeting her for the time being.”

“Oh? Who?” Rat inquired, but Beth shook her head.

“Can’t remember her name without looking at the documents I found. I’ve hidden them away and can’t be doing with getting them out again now…Paul will be home any minute. It was some weird eccentric sciencey name anyway.”

“Right,” Rat responded, unimpressed.

“Let’s just focus on Alison for the time being, right? I should get going,” Beth said, almost yawning. “I’m meeting her tomorrow, as I said. I’ll update you all again afterwards.”

“Cheers Beth,” Leigh thanked her.

Everyone was quiet for a few minutes after the call ended. Rat sat reading through Alison’s file in full detail, apparently curious to learn as much about her as possible.

Katja got to her feet at last, and yawned. “I vill go nap,” she said tiredly. “I am not feeling great.” She shuffled towards the stairs to head for her room, and Aila watched her for a moment, frowning. When Katja was out of sight, Aila wandered over to Leigh, who was now bustling about the kitchen.

“Coffee?” Leigh asked as she pulled up a cup.

“Aye…cheers,” Aila said.

“Rat?” Leigh called.

“What?”

“Drink?”

“No.”

“Suit yourself,” Leigh muttered under her breath, rolling her eyes.

Aila folded her arms and watched Leigh boil the kettle. “How’re things with you, Leigh?” she asked quietly.

Leigh froze and turned to look at her. “I’m good. Just trying not to ask questions about things I can’t have answers to.”

Aila nodded, looking out the window as she waited for the water to boil. After a moment, her gaze became distant. “Has it really only been two months since we met?” she muttered. “Sometimes it doesn’t feel real.”

“Yeah,” Leigh agreed with a quiet sigh. “Feels like it should be a hell of a lot longer by now. I didn’t know what the hell I was signing up for when I decided to do this…”

“You’ve done good though,” Aila said with a smile.

Leigh just shook her head and poured the hot liquid into two cups as she reflected on everything that had happened over the last few months. “I wish I could call my parents…” she confessed quietly.

Aila frowned and put a hand on Leigh’s shoulder comfortingly. “You’ll see them again. I’m sure of it. Though you know who you could maybe ask…”

“No,” Leigh grunted. “I’m not asking her for shit.”

Aila shook her head but didn’t press the matter, sipping her coffee as she leaned against the counter. “I’m worried about Katja,” she said instead.

Leigh frowned. “Eh?”

“She’s not…well, she seems unwell,” Aila explained, shrugging.

Leigh remained quiet for a moment. Aila wondered what she was thinking about as they spent several minutes sipping their drinks. “How do you mean?” Leigh asked at last.

Aila shrugged. “Well she says she has a cold coming on,” she muttered, though she did not need Leigh’s raised eyebrows and small smile to realise how paranoid and overly concerned she sounded.

“A cold?” Leigh asked.

“Yeah but it’s _more_ than that,” Aila said desperately. “I don’t know; she doesn’t seem _herself._ ”

“Well…maybe she’s still having a hard time with the whole Lucas thing,” Leigh suggested quietly. “It was sprung on her pretty suddenly out of nowhere. Or maybe…”

“Maybe what?” Aila asked.

Leigh shrugged, but averted her gaze. “Maybe she’s just homesick.”

Aila was stunned into silence. It was only then that she realised Katja wasn’t the only one. They _all_ missed home. It was bound to show every now and then.

Aila nodded, gripped her coffee mug tighter, and moved into the living area to sit down on the sofa. She realised she’d been trying hard not to think about home ever since fleeing with Leigh. She wondered if she’d ever get to go back to her old job…probably not, since everyone seemed to think she was a murderer. Leaning back on the sofa, the doctor sighed and glanced over at the staircase. Was it just homesickness and a cold?

“I’ll keep an eye on Katja just in case…” she murmured to herself.

\--

The next few days were the most boring yet. The clones barely left the house except to take it turns to play with Bianca and Charles (Rat reluctantly agreed just so everyone had something to do, and the dogs seemed to enjoy the company of the other clones anyway). When they weren’t running around the outside of the house with the dogs, they were speaking to Beth, Aryanna and Janika on Skype; all of whom updated them on their situations and assured them they were still safe.

Aila continued to keep a close eye on the other three clones she resided with. When she wasn’t insisting Katja eat and drink more to keep up her strength (The German’s energy levels seemed to drop by the day, and everyone else started to notice now too), the doctor was  focusing on Rat and Leigh, and the endless possible ways of improving their communication skills.

“You want me to do _what?_ ” Rat asked her one morning over breakfast. Aila had taken the opportunity to talk to her while Katja was still sleeping and Leigh was in the shower.

“Well…only if you _can_ do it, I mean,” Aila began explaining. “I understand if it’s too risky…”

“No, no, I can do it,” Rat assured her, unwilling to allow her skills to be doubted in the slightest. “Whether Leigh will accept my help though is another matter…”

“Ah,” Aila agreed, averting her gaze. “Aye. She can be rather stubborn.”

“You got that right,” Rat mumbled, stuffing a spoonful of cereal into her mouth. “And another thing; even if she agrees to this; even if we _do_ manage to contact her parents, who’s to say DYAD won’t be watching _them?_ They’re bound to be looking for answers from those Leigh’s close to. And anyway, what if her _parents_ are doing DYAD’s dirty work too? How do we know we can trust _them?_ ”

“I dunno,” Aila sighed. “It’s just, she’s still all torn up about Rachel, however hard she tries to hide it. She won’t admit it, but she needs some sort of explanation. Don’t you think she deserves one?”

Rat sighed. “Yeah...everyone deserves to know if they have siblings they never knew about.”

“Cheers,” Aila told her.

The hacker made a sound of vague acknowledgement and pushed the bowl of milk off to the side. She grabbed her laptop and booted it up. Aila watched curiously as Rat pulled up various screens and began typing out lines of code that made no sense at all to the doctor.

After a several minutes, Rat leaned back in her chair and let out a long breath. “ _Baise_ …”

Aila vaguely recognised the French curse word and raised an eyebrow. “Something wrong?”

“Yeah…Leigh’s parents have been relocated to DYAD’s main institution in London indefinitely. Leekie’s probably been trying to get answers from them, or is potentially planning on baiting her with them…suggesting they’re not in on it, mind.”

Aila gasped, her eyes wide. “They’d _do_ that?”

“I wouldn’t put it past them,” Rat sighed. “OK, hang on. Let me see if I can get a visual…as for communication, that’ll be…risky, to say the least…I’ll see what I can do.”

Aila watched Rat work for several tense minutes, before a new window appeared on the screen that looked like it was from a security camera. They were looking down into a room which could pass for a living room, except it distinctly looked like a lab, with too-clean white walls and various bits of lab equipment dotted around. Two people were looking miserable as they wandered around the room.

“Holy shit…” Aila muttered, covering her hand with her mouth. “They…they can’t leave there?”

“As far as I can tell, the door only opens from the outside… _fucking_ Leekie! I _told_ you he’s a sick bastard,” Rat hissed. She didn’t usually swear, but this situation called for it.

Aila shook her head. This was too shocking for her. Losing control, the doctor grabbed the lid of Rat’s laptop and forced it shut. Rat raised an eyebrow at her, but her expression softened at the look on Aila’s face.

“Sorry,” Aila breathed. “It’s just…”

“You don’t know if you want Leigh to see this,” Rat finished for her. Aila nodded. “Look…Leigh gets on my nerves. You know that, but I don’t think it’s fair or wise to keep something like this from her. If she finds out we knew…”

“Yeah,” Aila agreed shakily. “We just…we should figure out a way to break it to her without…” She trailed off, unsure of how to continue.

“Yeah, I get it. You don’t wanna shock the hell out of her _again_ , but there’s no avoiding Leigh’s reaction when she finds out,” Rat tried to reason with the doctor.

Aila covered her mouth, panicking. “Sh-she’s gonna be so scared,” she almost whispered. “She’s gonna be so torn about what to do…”

Rat sighed. “Yeah…” she agreed, glancing up at Aila. “Breathe and release, doc. If she comes out seeing you lose it, it’ll just freak her out more.”

Aila nodded and took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down, if only slightly. Suddenly, the doctor heard footsteps and glanced over, seeing Leigh walking out with fresh clothes and damp hair. She gave an awkward wave. “M-Morning Leigh…”

Leigh raised an eyebrow at the weird look on Aila’s face. “Uh…hi? What’s up?”

“Um, n-nothing?” Aila said, though she knew she was horrible at lying.

Leigh stared at her. “What's happened?” she asked flatly.

Rat watched the exchange, resisting the urge to face-palm. “ _Smooth_ doc…” she said with a shake of her head. “Leigh, come here for a moment. You’re…gonna wanna sit down for this one…” she said, her voice holding none of its usual bite.

“Just…” Aila added as she placed a hand over Leigh’s arm. “Just don’t freak?”

“Err, bit late for that,” Leigh spoke in a high voice with raised eyebrows. She watched as Rat pulled the laptop towards them.

And then Rat began explaining. Leigh forced herself to stay quiet until the hacker had finished.

“Are you taking the piss?” Leigh spat eventually. “No. They… _what?_ ”

“Just _listen,_ ” Rat told her urgently. “We did this because we thought they could give you answers about Rachel, but we found out that _this_ has happened instead. Don’t worry, they don’t look like they’re hurt or anything-”

“Show me,” Leigh demanded.

Everyone hesitated.

“Leigh, we think they’re gonna blackmail you with this,” Aila said regretfully.

“Just _show me,_ ” Leigh repeated.

The room remained silent as Rat opened the laptop and found once more the window into DYAD’s room. It took a few moments for the unmistakable figures of the two people Leigh hadn’t seen in over two months to appear, and when they did, all Leigh could do was stare.

Janet and Spencer were still pacing the room rather uncertainly, and they appeared to be alone. The small amount of relief Leigh felt to see they were unharmed was almost completely drowned out by feelings of dread and guilt.

“How could I have been so stupid?” she whispered.

“No…you’re not,” Aila tried to assure her. “You didn’t know…you didn’t know Leekie would do such a thing…”

Rat said nothing. From the look of sheer horror on Leigh’s face, the hacker was beginning to doubt that Leigh was in league with DYAD at all. Her reactions to recent events spoke volumes of her ignorance to DYAD’s corrupt ways, and the damage Leekie continued to cause.

“We just…look, we can try and talk to them later if we can be sure nobody is around to listen,” Rat offered, though Leigh still looked hopeless. “But you should know that communicating with them now isn’t gonna be easy. Hell, I don’t even know if we should risk it at _all._ ”

“I should go…I should…I-I…they…they don’t deserve…” Leigh mumbled almost incoherently.

“Leigh, you know that won’t accomplish anything except giving Leekie exactly what he wants,” Rat frowned, taking in the completely distraught look on the hairdresser’s face.

Leigh closed her eyes, choking back a sob as she barely resisted the urge to claw at her own hair. Aila frowned and lightly put a hand on Leigh’s shoulder as Leigh broke down and sobbed. How could Leekie _do_ such a thing? Did he really care so little about his people that he’d use them as pawns in this game? Bait to draw her out of hiding? Was that all they were to him?

Aila wasn’t entirely sure how Leigh would react, but felt she needed to do something to help, and enveloped Leigh in a firm hug. The hairdresser was still for a moment, before relaxing slightly as she continued to cry.

From just past them, Rat noticed Katja sleepily wandering down the stairs, looking confused at Leigh’s crying. Rat stood up and made her way over to the German woman, quietly explaining what had happened.


	13. Chapter 12

The rest of the day dragged by with Leigh barely leaving Rat’s laptop. A million thoughts raced through her mind about the situation. Should she go back home? Would Leekie really hurt her parents, and would he let them go if Leigh returned? Surely Aila, Rat and Katja could take care of themselves. They didn’t need Leigh…

But then Leigh felt enormous guilt for even considering leaving them alone. She would never forgive herself if something happened to them and she wasn’t there with them through it.

“I’m just torn,” she would tell them over and over again. “I’m torn.”

The other three clones would only watch helplessly and try to coax her away from the laptop. Rat managed to tap into the audio to listen to anything Leigh’s parents might say, but they were mostly quiet, and when they talked, Leigh’s name never popped up. It seemed to Leigh they were trying to behave as normally as possible. Once or twice, DYAD officials entered the room to check up on them or bring them food, but never once were Janet and Spencer allowed to leave.

“They don’t   _know anything!_ ” Leigh shouted at the laptop, slamming the table with her fist. “This is all my doing!”

“Leigh, I’m gonna need that laptop back sooner rather than later,” Rat insisted after four hours passed. “We can check up on them again in a bit…”

Leigh couldn’t bring herself to respond. She only continued to watch, and Rat found she didn’t have the heart to take the laptop from her.

“The friggin' hell are we meant to do?” she asked Aila and Katja desperately later on. They were huddled at the foot of the stairs away from Leigh so they could talk.

“She does not vant to leave zem knowing zey are in danger,” Katja said quietly. “If it vas   _our_    family…”

“Yeah,” Aila agreed. “I get it, but watching events unfold on that laptop is NOT healthy and it CAN’T become habit. Look, I say if Leigh wants to go back, she   _should_.”

“Are you mad?” Rat hissed at her. “She’ll be walking right into a friggin' rabbit cage! Leekie won’t forgive her for the mess she’s made! And in his eyes, she   _has_    made a mess!”

“So she ez meant to just let him harm her parents?” Katja asked.

“No, of course not!” Rat continued. “But if she rushes back there without a plan, she’s gonna get herself killed! She can’t just keep   _doing_    things on impulse like this; she needs   _help-_ ”

“So you   _do_ care,” Katja stated.

Rat fell quiet. “Maybe I just feel like this my fault, sort of,” she muttered after a minute. “I never should have told her the thing about Rachel…it was so   _stupid…_ ”

“It was a mistake any of us could have made, Rat!” Aila told her. “And how were you to know about   _this?_    We can’t blame ourselves; it’ll solve nothing. We need to decide what we’re gonna do to help now and make sure Beth catches this killer, because I honestly don’t know how much more any of us can take.”

Rat sighed and stood up, making her way back over to the table to sit down beside Leigh. “Hey…” she said quietly, though Leigh didn’t say anything back. The hairdresser looked even more like a zombie now than she had when she found out about Rachel.

Leigh buried her face in her hands and silently pushed the laptop towards Rat, assuming the hacker wanted it back. Rat shook her head. “I’ll keep the window up,” she told Leigh. “Just let me make sure we haven’t been found out, OK? I’ve never had a constant breach that’s lasted this long before. Usually I try to get in and out as fast as possible.”

Leigh put her head on her arms. “Cut it if it’s too risky. I don’t wanna get us in even more trouble,” she murmured, looking completely defeated.

Rat frowned. She quietly ran several checks to see if any of DYAD’s security measures had been alerted yet. She’d already made a fail-safe just in case. If DYAD tried to trace the origin of the breach, it would mask the signal and reroute to a server in Moscow, giving the false impression that the clones were in Russia rather than Switzerland.

Satisfied they were still undetected for the moment, Rat went to give the stream back to Leigh, but paused and watched intently as the door in the room opened. A figure walked in, showing not Leekie, but rather the face of another clone.

“Rachel…” Rat muttered. She'd recognise the blonde clone anywhere from the photograph in her file.

Leigh forced her head up, confused. She stared at the bewildered look on Rat’s face before inching closer to the laptop.

There was no mistaking it.

Leigh and Rat watched the blonde smoothly make her way to the middle of the room, and Janet and Spencer turned their attention towards her. Leigh felt something catch in her throat as she tried to speak.

It was too surreal. It was too much. Seeing Rachel and being unable to speak to her was overwhelming, and Leigh felt incredibly stupid for feeling that way. She almost paid no attention to what Rachel was even doing or saying for a moment. The blonde clone looked like a little doll on the screen. She was as perfect as Leigh remembered her.

“What’s she   _doing…_ ” Rat breathed more to herself than to Leigh.

Janet and Spencer walked over to Rachel now, and she was gesturing for them to sit. Janet obeyed, but Spencer was looking defensive and frightened, even when his wife placed a gentle hand on his arm to calm him down.

“Wh-what are they saying?” Leigh asked. Rat carefully turned up the volume.

“…absolute madness!” spoke the unmistakable voice of Spencer Callingham.

“For what it’s worth, I do not believe you had anything to do with her disappearance,” Rachel was explaining in her usual monotone voice. “Your cluelessness and desperation cannot be faked.”

“ _That's_    Rachel?” a Scottish voice breathed from somewhere behind Leigh.

Leigh didn’t need to look to know Aila and Katja had curiously wandered over. “Yeah…that’s Rachel…”

“Vhat is vith her hair?” Katja asked.

Leigh clenched her jaw tightly to stop herself from crying again. She should   _not_    be missing Rachel this much.

“…feel I must warn you that DYAD always gets what it wants,” Rachel was saying now. She had Janet and Spencer’s full attention.

“So you’re threatening us?” Spencer asked flatly. The completely still Rachel only tilted her head ever so slightly at this comment.

“ _No,_ ” she insisted. “I’m not.   _DYAD_    is.” Rachel then walked slowly over to the large window on the wall. She became very still when she reached it, and remained quiet for several moments as she stared. “They will use you as bait to bring your daughter back…but you already knew that,” she said coldly. “You must believe me when I say I am unaware of the lengths they will go to; whether they will cause you harm or not…my guess right now is they will say   _anything_    to Leigh if it means she’ll return of her own free will.”

“Bullshit,” Rat spat venomously. “Of   _course_    they’ll really harm them – that’s what Leekie   _DOES-_ ”

“-but whatever choices they make, there is only so much I can do to help,” Rachel continued. She turned away from the window and strolled back over to the couple. She observed them with that unnerving blank stare for a while, and then crossed the room to leave. She looked back over her shoulder at them as she held open the door. “That is, while you are in   _here_ ,” she finished.

Rachel left as suddenly as she arrived. Leigh shook her head.

“Hang on a minute,” Rat whispered in disbelief. Leigh was too busy watching her parents to notice what Rat had. “What…what on earth is she   _playing at?_ ”

“What?” Leigh mumbled, still staring at her parents.

“The   _door!_    Do you see what I see?” Rat asked, pointing to the screen.

It took Leigh a moment, but then she squinted. “Is that…did Rachel-?” she whispered, stunned.

It only took Spencer and Janet a moment longer to notice as well. Rachel had left the door open. The pair didn’t wasted no time, and quickly fled out into the hallway to run.

The clones huddled around the laptop and stared for a moment, not sure what to make of the situation. Rat silently closed the feed and backed out of the facility's systems before closing the lid of her computer. Leigh stared down at the floor, her head spinning.

What   _was_    Rachel playing at?

\--

The following morning, the household was tense. Everyone was thinking about what they’d witnessed, and what that meant for the rest of them. If DYAD had gone so far as to kidnap people and were planning on blackmailing, what else would they do?

Katja demanded to be given a secure way to contact her own family and warn them to be careful. Before, she’d been sure her kin could handle anything, but after witnessing firsthand that Rat had been right about DYAD's willingness to hurt people, she wasn’t sure anymore.

Rat understood Katja’s fears, and set up a secure Skype call for her to contact who she wished to warn them to be cautious. Nobody knew if Janet and Spencer had escaped the facility fully or not, as the files hadn’t been updated at all. Rat theorized that Leekie wouldn’t admit to losing them until he’d completely lost their trail, so it was anybody’s guess at this point.

Since witnessing Leigh’s emotional reaction to the tense situation the previous evening, the hacker seemed to be making a bit of an effort to be nicer to her, and didn’t snap at her nearly as much as she had previously.

While Katja was on Rat’s computer talking to the various members of her huge family, Rat kept Katja’s computer open in case Beth tried to contact them again. The detective got in touch later that day.

The hacker clicked open the window. “Morning Beth.”

“Hey,” Beth greeted Rat with a short wave. “I’ve got someone here who’s interested to meet you all.” Beth reached out for the webcam and turned it quickly to capture the person in the room with her. Rat almost swore under her breath at the rigid, anxious, but very pink clone now facing her.

“You must be Alison,” she stated, managing to keep her voice calm.

“Y-yes. That’s me,” Alison spoke. Her voice was rather high, and she sounded either stern or uptight. Rat couldn’t decide which.

“Nice to see you’ve finally won her over,” Rat said to Beth, who looked a little alarmed at the accusing and distrusting glare Alison shot her way.

“What have you been saying about me to them?” Alison demanded.

“Nothing,” Beth said a little too quickly, and Alison simply stared at her with wide eyes and an unimpressed expression.

“Look, I’m taking it you called because you wanted proof of the whole clone thing, yeah?” Rat asked. Alison turned her head sharply to look at Rat again, grimacing at the word ‘clone’.

“Yeah,” Beth answered instead.

Rat sighed. “Guys, get over here,” she called lazily for Aila, Leigh and Katja. “Alison wants to meet you.”

Alison, however, looked as though she’d rather be anywhere else but there with Beth, and didn’t seem enthusiastic at all about seeing other clones. Rat could only guess she was taking this very hard.

Aila and Leigh made their way over to the laptop, and Rat turned the camera around so that Alison could see them both. Aila waved, but Alison just stared with wide eyes before fidgeting with her hands. “Y-Yes hello, um…OK, fine, I-I guess I believe you…I’m just gonna…” she said quickly before trailing off and disappearing to leave the room.

Beth sighed in exasperation. “Alison…” she groaned, putting the camera back. “Sorry. I’ll call you guys back in a bit.”

The call abruptly ended. Leigh rubbed her neck awkwardly. “She’s not taking it well, I’m guessing.”

Aila nodded. “Can’t blame her really,” she said, standing to return to the kitchen where she’d been making lunch.

Rat put the laptop down again and glanced over as Katja stood. “Done warning everyone, Katja?” she asked.

Katja nodded. “Ja, I zink so,” she said before looking as if she didn’t know whether to head to the kitchen or head up the stairs to bed.

Rat frowned, concerned. “That cold still hasn’t gone?” she asked carefully.

Katja shrugged. “It vill. I have had vorse…” she insisted. Suddenly though, she brought her hand up to her mouth and coughed violently.

Rat stared as Katja looked at her hand and quickly went for a tissue, though Rat noticed a smudge of bright red on her lips. “Katja let me see your hand,” she said, her voice almost a whisper.

“It is fine. You do not vant to see,” Katja told her a bit too quickly.

Rat felt her heart rate increase and stood quickly to step towards the German woman. “Your   _hand_ , Katja!” she said louder, though she looked more scared than anything.

Leigh and Aila peeked out from the kitchen to see what all of the noise was about. They watched with confused looks as Katja backed away from Rat, seemingly trying to hide the hand she’d coughed into. Rat stopped in her tracks before she could even see Katja’s hand. She stared for a while, and Katja did not meet her gaze.

“How long has this been happening?” Rat whispered after a moment.

No response.

“ _Katja!_ ”

Still no response. Leigh and Aila wandered over now as well, and Aila mentally scolded herself. She   _knew_    something wasn’t right…

“I did not vant to cause concern,” Katja said at last. She shrugged, still avoiding looking anyone in the eyes. “It is nothing…”

“ _Nothing?_ ” Rat repeated, gob smacked. She darted forwards and seized Katja’s wrist, bringing her hand up so everyone could see. “What’s   _this_    then? You’re coughing up   _blood!_ ”

Leigh had never heard such emotion in Rat’s voice, nor had she ever seen Katja looking so scared. It was unnerving.

For a moment, everyone was silent. Rat let go of Katja’s wrist, her own hands visibly shaking as she did. Without a word, she pulled the German woman into a tight hug. She shut her eyes tight, willing herself not to break down even as Katja finally did.

\--

The rest of the afternoon passed slowly. The entire atmosphere of the house changed with the revelation of Katja’s illness. Aila had taken it upon herself to give the German woman’s lung functions a complete exam to determine what she could do to help her. The two of them stayed in Katja’s room to do so after everyone calmed down.

In the meantime, Rat retreated to her room with her dogs and hadn’t been out since. Leigh sat out in the living room with a beer, thinking about the fatal illness she’d heard about. Was this it? Or was this something else? Something that could be treated? She sighed, wondering if she should tell the others. She’d been meaning to, but now she was afraid of scaring Katja even more.

Beth hadn’t tried to contact them back yet, which Leigh was happy about. She knew the detective would probably pick up on everyone’s somber moods.

Just as Leigh considered getting up to retreat to her own room, footsteps could be heard on the staircase. Aila appeared after a moment, and she looked very tired.

“Hey,” Leigh greeted her carefully.

“Hey.”

Aila walked over to the kitchen and disappeared for a moment. Leigh could hear her rummaging about for something, and it wasn’t long before she shuffled back into view carrying a large glass of wine. She invited herself to sit down next to Leigh and took a long, much needed sip.

“I   _knew_    something wasn’t right with her,” she whispered after a moment.

Leigh hesitated. “She tried   _very_    hard to hide it, Aila…”

“Yeah, but I should have   _seen_    it sooner,” Aila snapped a little. It was clear she was furious with herself.

Leigh shifted a bit closer to her. “Well blaming yourself won’t do any good,” she said, trying to sound stern. Aila shot a glare at her. “I won’t   _let_ you anyway. You couldn’t have known about it. Look…I need to tell you something. Something I should have explained sooner, and I’m only telling you now because we can’t afford to take more risks.”

“Oh?” Aila asked curiously, visibly calming down and relaxing after a moment. She waited as Leigh finished her beer and set the bottle on the floor by the foot of the sofa. Leigh then rested her elbows on her knees, her chin in her hands, and stared at the wall opposite them.

“Back when I first found out there were other clones, I learned something else too. Do you remember me saying once that I wouldn’t be here doing all of this if it wasn't for Rachel?”

“Aye,” Aila told her slowly.

Leigh paused again. “She was the one to tell me other clones existed. She was…she was really upset, Aila, even if she tried to hide it. I could tell. She was talking to me about…about some illness. I mean, I have no idea what this illness   _is;_ she didn’t give me details. Hell, I don’t even know if   _Rachel_    knows the full extent of it…”

“Leigh, what are you talking about?” Aila asked, frowning now.

“Rachel told me the clones are prone to health risks. Health risks you’d know nothing about, with next to no hope of receiving a cure. Those were her exact words. She also told me she’d been trying to get me to work for DYAD, because then I’d be better protected, or more informed, or whatever, if I started to show symptoms.”

“So DYAD has the cure?” Aila gasped.

Leigh shook her head, shrugging. “I don’t know. I don’t know anything at this point. I wanted to tell you all sooner, but I just…with everything else going on…”

“Yeah…” Aila said. She emptied the rest of her wine glass with one long gulp.

Leigh sat up straight and looked directly at Aila. “All I know is Rachel   _cared,_ ” she spoke seriously. “She’s shit at showing it, but she   _does._    Why else would she have let my parents get away yesterday? Why would she have told me all of this when she knows the consequences she’d face for doing so?”

Aila couldn’t bring herself to respond. Too many thoughts clouded her head.

“Aila…what if Rachel’s the answer?” Leigh asked now. “If she   _does_ have more information, what if we get her to give it us?”

“And what if she’s already too corrupted by DYAD to go against them?” Aila tried to reason.

Leigh sighed and looked away again. “I thought she was,” she admitted guiltily. “And I gave up on her too soon because of it, but I’m starting to think I was wrong. I kind of wish I’d gotten her to come with me, but…if this thing Katja’s got is the illness Rachel told me about…”

A long silence followed.

“Rat will never trust Rachel,” Aila spoke at last. “You know that.”

“Yeah, I know,” Leigh muttered, shaking her head. “But I need to do   _something._ I need to speak to Rachel somehow. I need to know everything she knows about this illness, because if anything happens to Katja and it turns out we could have prevented it…” she trailed off.

Aila sighed. “Yeah, I see your point. This sucks. Do you really think Rachel would be willing to tell us?”

Leigh shrugged. “Only one way to find out,” she muttered, standing slowly and heading towards Rat’s room. She didn’t know what she was going to say to the hacker, but she needed to try to make her understand that Rachel was their best bet for getting information.

\--

“ _NO._ ”

Leigh had spent the last few minutes explaining to Rat all she'd explained to Aila. The hacker sat quietly, still visibly upset about Katja’s condition, but as soon as Leigh mentioned Rachel’s name, her usual angry temperament showed itself again.

“Just let me explain,” Leigh told her as calmly as she could. “I just think Rachel’s   _scared_    of them more than anything-”

“She’s in too deep!” Rat snapped defensively. “Far too deep! Someone like her   _cannot_    be trusted!”

“Why’d she leave that door open yesterday then?” Leigh sounded just as defensive now.

“I don’t know!” Rat shouted. She threw her arms in the air, stood up, and began pacing the room. Both her dogs eyed her cautiously, clearly uneasy at the tense situation. “I’ve been asking myself the same thing over and over! The only conclusion I can come to is that she’s   _tricking_    them somehow-”

“Tricking them?” Leigh repeated, laughing sarcastically in disbelief. “ _How?_ ”

“I don’t know; maybe she thought they’d go to you if she let them go; maybe she’s having them followed!”

“She wouldn’t do that,” Leigh said more to herself than to Rat.

“And how would you even know?” Rat challenged her.

“Look, you think you know everything about her, but you don’t; not really!”

“And you   _DO?_ ” Rat yelled. Leigh fell quiet. She backed down and sat on Rat’s bed, quite shaken. “Look, Leigh! You   _want_    to see the good in her, but I’m telling you, it’s just not   _there!_    It   _can’t_    be if she’s working for   _them!_ ”

“She’s   _scared,_ ” Leigh repeated, shaking her head and staring at the floor. “She   _hates_ DYAD; she always did, ever since we were young! Only she’s gotten so good at hiding it over the years…I just thought…maybe we could convince her to join   _us-_ ”

“Oh, get real!” Rat told her viciously. “ _NOBODY_    walks away from DYAD!”

“ _I_ did!” Leigh reminded her. She stood up again, fists clenched, and anger clear in her eyes once more.

“Yeah, and look where it got you,” Rat shot quietly.

Leigh clenched her fists hard. “Where it   _got_    me? I’m out here busting my arse to try to save the lives of other clones! Clones DYAD doesn’t care about! But   _this_    is something we can’t deal with on our own! Warning people about a killer is one thing, but this is an   _illness_    that we know   _nothing_    about! If there’s even a   _chance_    that Rachel could help-”

“She CAN’T!” Rat yelled then, and something in her tone made Leigh stop. “DYAD can't do SHIT about this! They like to THINK they can, but what they call a ‘cure’ is nothing short of TORTURE!” she seethed, before apparently realising her own words. She went silent then and turned away from Leigh, biting her lip hard as she tried to calm down and control herself.

Leigh stared at her. “What do you mean by that?”

“ _Nothing,_ ” Rat said quietly, refusing to look at Leigh. “It doesn’t matter. Fact is, DYAD   _don’t_ have a cure.”

“Rat, if you   _know something-_ ”

“I said it doesn’t matter!” Rat’s voice echoed now. “Just...just   _get out!_ ”

Leigh stared at her. She stared for what felt like an age; her mind blank, and her anger slowly dissolving into nothing but numbness. What was Rat hiding? What was she so afraid of that she had to resort to spying and hating and belittling everyone she came across?

“It’s funny, you know? You’re more like Rachel than anyone else I’ve ever   _met,_ ” Leigh found herself saying at last. Rat looked up at her, aghast. “And I tell you something...that’s some bloody achievement.”

Leigh turned on her heel and left the room, slamming the door behind her as she went.

\--

The next morning, Rat cautiously knocked on Katja’s door, not wanting to disturb her from her sleep. When she heard the woman’s vague reply, the hacker quietly ventured into the room, seeing Katja was still in bed, but somewhat awake.

“Hey…” she said, lightly sitting on the edge of the bed. “Did I wake you?”

“I vas avake…sort of…” Katja mumbled, stretching. “Vat is it?”

“I just…wanted to see you…” Rat said quietly.

Katja frowned. “Do not vorry yourself over me, Rattyrat,” she said gently but firmly.

Rat sighed. “How can I not, after…you know…” she mumbled pathetically.

Katja nodded, lightly putting her hand over Rat's. “I know, but do not let it drive you mad, ja? Vee need you to be vorking at top notch, not distracted by zis.”

Rat sighed and decided to change the subject. “It’s our birthday today.”

“Is it?”

“Mmmhm. March 24th.” Rat looked down at the German woman with a forced smile. “We’re officially twenty-eight now.”

“Vee are old, ” Katja grunted with a small, sad smile, inwardly wondering if this would be her last birthday.

Rat looked away, and Katja guessed she was having similar thoughts, and a moment later her suspicions were confirmed when the hacker pulled her knees up to her chest. Her shoulders shook slightly with quiet sobs.

Katja sat up slowly, looking concerned. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen Rat cry. “Talk to me…vat is it? Just zis…zing…or did somezing else happen?” she asked quietly, frowning subtly.

“It’s EVERYTHING.   _This_ , and also I…said something I shouldn’t have…” Rat said quietly, looking at the floor in front of her.

“Huh?” Katja questioned. She allowed Rat a few minutes to pull herself together.

“Leigh…I said too much…I started to talk about…about…about   _her_ …Leigh’s gonna start asking questions about   _her_    now…”

Katja struggled not to smile with relief. She had worried for a second that something   _really_    terrible happened, but she could not voice that out loud. This was a huge step for Rat. “Vell zat is a good zing, ja?” she said as tactfully as she could. “You   _need_    to trust each ozer.”

“I’m   _trying_! I just…I can’t talk about   _that!_    Not…not yet…” Rat said, sounding angry now.

“Vhy?”

“I just…I can’t. I already said too much…”

A pause followed. Katja rubbed her eyes tiredly. “Zen Leigh is alvays going to be angry,” she spoke slowly. “And you are alvays going to be angry also. You and her, you are zee same. Both angry; alvays angry, and half zee time, I do not know vhy. You are both angry for zee sake of being angry.”

“That’s NOT true,” Rat hissed, but Katja carried on talking before she could get another word in.

“You do not trust her with   _zat_    information, and yet you do not have valid reason vhy? No, Rat, you cannot accuse her of anyzing just because she knew Leekie all her life. Zat does not prove anyzing ozer zan your own paranoia. And she, she is just as bad, alvays staring out vindows and carrying saucepan and beating herself up over zee fact she cannot vin your trust. Don’t you see vat a vicious circle it ez?”

Rat sighed. “I doubt she beats herself up over something as stupid as that,” she muttered, but then seemed to pause for a moment to really consider her own words.

“You vere saying?” Katja asked gently as Rat buried her face in her hands.

“ _FINE_ …you’re right. I KNOW you’re right…I just I can’t!” she said pathetically, though she seemed to have lost much of her fire. She glanced back at Katja. “I’m just…” she trailed off and clamped her mouth shut firmly, looking away again.

“Scared,” Katja supplied the word knowingly, and the way Rat visibly tensed up let her know she was on the right track. “You’re scared to trust, scared of betrayal, scared of not just   _zem_ , but of   _everyone_ …you vere scared of me once too. Do you remember? Maybe saying too much too soon is making you even more scared, but maybe zee very fact zat you did ez meaning zat somevhere in zere, you vant to be able to trust vithout fear again.”

Rat said nothing for several minutes, wiping her eyes. Katja watched her, knowing Rat had unwillingly put herself into uncharted territory; territory she perceived as the door to what she feared the most...but Katja knew this would be good for Rat in the long run. Maybe with the support of the crazy little family they'd created, the hacker could finally allow herself to let go of her fear and heal, one baby step at a time.

Rat burried her face in her arms. “Sorry. I’m being stupid. You don’t need to deal with this right now…not with…” she trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.

Katja sat up properly to put an arm around her. “I vill not be beaten. Not by zis.”

Rat forced a smile but shook her head. “That’s your trouble. You think you’re invincible,” she told Katja, who only grinned.

Then, Katja yawned and stood up from the bed, running a hand through her messy hair. “Rat…zis zing vee call fear…it ez not real, you understand?”

“The hell? Of course it’s real,” Rat told her, but Katja shook her head.

“No. No it ez not. Ven I vas young, I vas cautious of most zings, alvays anxious and vorrying about zings that might or might not happen. My grandmother…my adopted mother’s mother…she vas the same. I used to spend much time with her. She vas great, but…she had issues vith anxiety and feared most zings…”

Katja stopped a moment to breathe. Rat thought she was going to start coughing again, but after a few seconds, Katja managed to compose herself.

“She lived to very good old age, my grandmother,” she continued, staring at herself in the mirror now. “And ven she died, in her nineties, I realised zat she had spent her whole life   _scared_ ; her whole live living vith zis vorry that bad things vould happen, but zey did not; nozing tragic anyvay…and I zought to myself, ‘I don’t vant to be like zat. I don’t vant to vatch my life pass by, and suddenly be ninety and regret not taking the chance to be happy because I vas scared of vat   _could_    have happened’…no, Rat, that is no vay to live. It is no vay at all.”

Rat stayed quiet. She waited for Katja to turn back around to look at her.

“Fear,” Katja said, “ez not   _real._ It is nothing but   _madness_ , Rat. It ez madness in our heads vee torture ourselves with. Vee only fear vat   _might_    happen, but vat is the point? You spend all zese years behind your screen being too scared to trust, and for what? Revenge? To torture   _yourself_    with vat you cannot change?”

“It’s not like that,” Rat whispered, eyes brimming with tears. “I'm not doing it for revenge...not really...revenge would mean I'm doing it in   _her_    name, and she wouldn't have wanted that. So no...I'm doing it so that   _they_    can't keep hurting us. That's all.”

Katja nodded before speaking again. “Listen to me. Vee are family here;   _all_    of us. Leigh…Aila…zey do not know how much of an impact zey have had on both of our lives. I   _know_    you appreciate zem, Rat. You are just too scared to admit it, and you don’t have to be.”

Rat seemed to stare off into space for several minutes, before shaking her head and wiping her eyes again. “You’re too good to me. Sometimes I wonder why you even put up with me. I’ve been   _horrible_    since the day we met. Leigh…she said I’m just like Rachel, and I don't know if I can disagree. I let DYAD warp me, just like they seem to have warped   Rachel over the years…” she sighed, biting back more sobs.

Katja knelt down in front of Rat, waiting until the hacker lifted her head slightly to meet her gaze. “I choose to stay vith you because vee are family. Is this not so...schwester?” Rat just nodded quietly, having nothing to say back to that. Katja smiled. “Come on. Vee get you cleaned up and zen have birthday cookies.”


	14. Chapter 13

Leigh sat at the table sipping at her hot tea as she sighed, thinking about what had happened last night. It was obvious now that Rat knew more than she was letting on, but she had no idea how to breach the subject without getting into another massive argument.

Aila glanced over. “All right, Leigh? You seem awfully moody this morning. What’s on your mind?”

“You mean you didn’t hear me and _her_ at each other’s throats last night?” Leigh asked miserably.

Aila sighed. “Yeah, I thought that might be it. I told you she wouldn’t want to-”

“Yeah, I _know_ ,” Leigh interrupted, slamming her cup on the table before. “But I had to do _something_ instead of sitting around…”

Aila stared. “No need to snap. I was only saying,” she said testily. “Besides, maybe you ought to consider that the choice to seek help from Rachel or not isn’t yours. It’s not Rat’s, either.” Leigh stared furiously at the table before Aila continued. “Have either of you even asked Katja what _she_ wants to do?” she asked, eyebrows raised. “I agree she needs to be looked at properly, but I _completely_ understand if she won’t go to DYAD for answers.”

“I never said she should get help from DYAD. I was more thinking that Rachel could join _us_ and share with us what she knows,” Leigh explained tiredly.

Aila shook her head. “We need to focus on how to approach Danielle,” she told Leigh. “And _you_ need to stop fixating on Rachel.”

“How do you expect me to do _that?_ ” Leigh yelled, coming across far harsher than she intended. “She’s my _sister!_ ”

Aila sighed, looking away as she scowled. “Fine. I give up.” With that, the doctor swiftly left the kitchen with her coffee.

Leigh stared after her, face-palming at her own rashness. “Shit, Aila, wait!” she said, but the doctor was already gone. Leigh sighed as she buried her face in her hands. She knew none of this was Aila’s fault. The doctor had only ever tried to help and make things better for everyone else. She didn’t deserve Leigh's shouting...

A few minutes later, Leigh heard footsteps and prepared to apologise, but looked away as Katja and Rat appeared in the kitchen instead.

“Vhy ez doctor upset?” Katja asked, raising an eyebrow at Leigh.

“Because I’m a flaming _idiot._ Why else?” Leigh told her.

Katja and Rat could only watch as Leigh stood up, marched to the front door, and left the house.

\--

Leigh crossed her arms and kept her head down as she ran across the fields, every step making her angrier at herself, at Rachel, at DYAD, and at the whole situation she'd found herself in. She couldn’t believe what a complete idiot she’d been about all of this right from the start, and now she'd probably already lost the sister she never knew she had because she’d been too quick to judge the situation. If she’d tried harder, maybe things would have been different. Maybe Rachel wouldn’t still be at DYAD. Maybe she’d be with Leigh, and less of a perfectly groomed DYAD robot-doll-clone.

“FUCK!” the hairdresser screeched to the thankfully vacant hills.

This was so messed up in so many ways. She knew she shouldn’t have upset Aila, but did the doctor expect her to _forget_ about Rachel? To leave her to DYAD’s influence? After this was all over, would there even be anything left of the other self-aware clone?

Leigh walked until she reached a tree. She punched the base of it hard, over and over and over, screaming curses and questions with no answers; releasing all her pent up rage until finally, she slumped to the ground.

Her knuckles bled and were bruised in several places. She didn’t consciously register the pain though; only the numb feeling of being completely drained of emotion for the time being. It took a while for her to catch her breath. She swallowed hard, suddenly realising she could really do with a drink. At long last, Leigh pulled herself to her feet again, and aimlessly walked.

Ten minutes turned into twenty minutes, and twenty minutes turned into fifty…soon enough, an hour had passed, in which the pain in Leigh’s hand became stronger and stronger, throbbing and burning. She couldn’t deny she felt better for having a release though, no matter how much she knew she ought to find a healthier outlet.

“Walking helps,” she mumbled to herself, picking up the pace now to speed over the hills. “Next time I’ll just walk…”

Leigh eventually slowed to a halt on top of a steep hill, and flopped down on the grass to stare at the clouds. Completely drained of energy, she had to fight not to fall asleep.

She stayed there until the sky turned gray. Dark clouds rolled over the hills. Leigh knew it was going to rain. When she sat up and checked her phone, she realised she'd been out of the house for almost three hours. She forced herself to stand again, eager to get back to the others before it threw it down.

And then, as Leigh stood and looked over the land below the hill, a figure could be seen in the distance. A person. A very fast person.

“Lucas?” Leigh asked herself, squinting.

As the person ran towards the house, Leigh was sure it was him. Seeing how fast he was running, she felt her blood run cold. Had something happened?

Leigh jogged down to the man. “Oi! Lucas!” she called out.

The man skidded to a stop, looking around. It didn’t take him long to spot Leigh. “Katja? No…Leigh, yes? It doesn’t matter. Are your fellows at home?” he asked urgently.

Leigh nodded, not bothering to comment on how he kept thinking she was Katja. “Yeah, they are. What’s up?” she asked.

Lucas shook his head. “I have something to tell you all. Ve have to get back to zee house. Come on; hurry!” he said, before taking off again.

“Fuck’s sake!” Leigh groaned, but she sprinted off as well.

\--

Rat and Katja sat the sofa, quietly discussing things among themselves. Bianca barked at the window suddenly, standing up on her hind legs to look out. Rat glanced over at her and raised. an eyebrow.

“Bianca, descendre et être tranquille!” she said, though the dog seemed reluctant to leave the window as she looked out, whimpering.

“Vhat ez her problem?” Katja asked.

“Hell if I know,” Rat shrugged, standing to look out the window as she ran a hand through Bianca’s fluffy fur. She didn’t see anything immediately, but after a moment s two people ran up to the house. Rat only needed a moment longer to realise it was Leigh and Lucas.

“Uh Katja, Lucas is here,” she informed the German clone. She couldn't help narrowing her eyes at the sight of Lucas.

Katja shot up and darted towards the window, rolling her eyes. She grumbled under her breath, but hurried to open the front door anyway. “Hallo. Vat brings you here vith angry beer lady?”

Lucas stopped in his tracks and cast a confused and alarmed look back at Leigh, who kept her mouth clamped firmly closed at Katja’s comment. Then, Lucas became panicked again, and raised both hands quickly.

“ _Maggie,_ ” he said breathlessly, his eyes wide with terror. “Maggie – she _knows_ – she _knows…_ ”

“Shit,” Leigh whispered behind him. Katja and Rat stared, completely frozen. “W-what do you mean she _knows?_ She knows we’re _here?_ ”

“Ja, ja,” Lucas said quickly, inviting himself into the house. “I cannot explain; not here. You need to go, you need to leave-”

“What do you _mean?_ ” Leigh asked desperately.

“Please, zere is no time!”

Everyone scrambled around in blind panic. All three clones were confused, but something about the tone Lucas used told them he was serious, and they knew they had to leave.

“Aila,” Leigh whispered, and she ran quickly to the hallway leading to the doctor’s room. She knocked loudly twice and burst in before waiting for an answer. Aila was sitting on her bed with many fliers and maps sprawled over the mattress. She looked alarmed at Leigh’s sudden appearance.

“Aila, get up, w-we have to go,” she told her urgently.

“What? Why?” the doctor asked, though one look at Leigh’s panicked face told her it was serious, so she gathered up her maps and clothes. She hastily shoved them in a bag  already stocked with medicine and money. She’d kept it bag prepared in case they ever needed to leave in a hurry.

“Maggie knows we’re here! I don’t know how, but…fuck! We have to leave!” Leigh explained, before fleeing towards the living room again just as Katja and Rat appeared with packed bags as well.

“Bianca! Charles! Venez ici!” Rat called. She rushed to attach the dog’s leashes when they scrambled to obey her command, both whining fearfully at the panicked atmosphere.

The hacker knelt down and tried to calm her animals with reassuring words and pets as the rest of the clones grabbed what they could to shove into bags. She’d only bothered to take her laptop, her passport, her money, and the few items she had for the dogs, as well as their food. Everything else was irrelevant.

Lucas looked out the window as they prepared to leave, cursing under his breath when he saw Maggie fast approaching the house.

Then, Lucas swore loudly.

“ _She has rifle!_ ” he warned the clones. “Go! _Go!_ ”

Everyone hurried towards the back door of the house; all of them crouching down under the windows as Maggie approached and forced the entrance open with a strength nobody thought possible from someone so small. She paused in the doorway to take in the environment of the now empty house.

Everyone outside remained very still. Leigh stared right ahead. They could easily make a run for it, but if Maggie saw them through the back windows, there was a chance of them being shot. Evidently, the rest of them were thinking the same. Nobody moved an inch, and even Rat’s dogs understood to be quiet and still.

Footsteps could be heard inside the house now. Out of sheer panic, Leigh threw herself to the ground and began crawling around the house. Maggie was bound to notice the back door was open sooner or later, and instinct told the hairdresser to move. She didn’t need to look to know everyone else was following.

The clones almost made it around the corner, when Katja coughed uncontrollably, spraying the ground with blood as she tried in vain to silence the fit. The sound was enough to give them away though, and they soon heard rapid footsteps and yelling.

“Run!” Aila gasped just as Maggie appeared out the door.

The Asian woman took aim at them, but before she could fire, a large shape tackled her from the side, causing her to lose her balance and drop the rife. She and Lucas tumbled to the ground in a heap, both scrambling to subdue the other.

Lucas looked over to the group. The clones paused to watch the scene with wide eyes as Katja regained control of her breathing. “ _RUN!_ I’ll hold her off!” Lucas yelled desperately as Maggie fought to grab the rifle. The clones wasted no time and fled from the house, sprinting towards town.

Suddenly, the unmistakable sound of a gunshot echoed through the hills.

\--

Nobody stopped running.

It didn’t matter how much their legs ached, or how desperately they needed to catch their breath. Stopping; looking back, if only for a second, could prove fatal. It was not a risk they were willing to take.

Not until they reached the town, that was, and Katja fell to her knees outside the nearest building, struggling violently with herself. Rat, who was behind her, stopped in her tracks, shaking all over, before looking around quickly to check they were safe. She then dropped down next to Katja and tried to urge her up.

“I’m sorry,” Katja managed, coughing again now. “I couldn’t-”

“ _Don’t you dare,_ ” Rat warned her, tugging on her arm. “C-come on. We can’t stay. We have to get _hidden…_ ”

Leigh and Aila stopped too. They'd been leading the others and failed to notice them stop at first. Now they were backtracking, both looking very shaken and pale and upset. Leigh remained completely silent as they approached, but Aila cleared her throat.

“Rat’s right. I won’t feel safe until we _find_ somewhere…”

“S-she wouldn’t try anything out here with _people_ around, right?” Rat asked, referring to Maggie.

Aila shook her head, but shrugged, looking desperate. “I wouldn’t put anything past the psychos in our lives anymore,” she told her. She bent down to help Katja up, supporting her fully. “I say we leave town. It’s our best bet.”

Rat looked around as people stared at them. The hacker shakily nodded at Aila.“Y-Yeah, we need to keep moving. The longer we stand here, the more chance Maggie’s gonna be coming after us. Let’s go.”

“ _Where_ though?” Leigh asked, looking around wildly for any signs of being pursued.

“We’ll figure that out later. For now we should just get the next bus out of here,” Aila said quickly as she helped support Katja, who continued wheezing from the run.

\--

Soon enough, the clones were on a bus on their way from Appenzell to Zurich, huddled together in the back along with Rat’s dogs. The other passengers seemed less than pleased by the dogs being allowed on the bus (thanks to a generous payment to the bus driver), though after an hour, nobody bothered about it, seeing as the animals simply sat and kept to themselves for the most part. As the adrenalin of the stressful situation slowly wore off, the group settled into a quiet state of melancholy.

“Anyone have any ideas vhere to go now?” Katja asked quietly. By now, she’d gotten her breathing to even out, though she’d been especially quiet since they left. She felt guilty for being the reason Maggie found them so quickly.

Aila shook her head as she rubbed her eyes. “I don’t know the first thing about Switzerland. I don’t know where’s safe and where isn’t.”

“Maybe we can stop off at a hotel and figure it out from there?” Leigh muttered, staring out the window intently. Even though they’d gotten on a bus and left immediately, she kept an eye out of the back window in case Maggie came up in a car. She didn’t care how paranoid it was. They’d only _just_ gotten out of that one in time.

Rat shook her head, sitting with Charles across her lap. She was holding the old dog close, and had been for most of the bus ride. “In Zurich, we should make our way to the train station,” she said, even as she looked less than pleased at the thought. “The further away from Appenzell we are, the safer we’ll be.”

They all silently agreed. They remained silent for while after that, until something caught their attention, one by one.

Katja was the first to notice. She looked up at the sound of someone sniffing, and then so did Rat, and finally, Leigh. The three of them watched the fourth clone, having only just realised she was crying.

“Sorry,” Aila whispered, wiping her eyes. She immediately pulled herself together, taking deep, calming breaths. “It’s just…Lucas…”

A mutual realisation dawned on the other three. Katja swallowed hard, folded her arms tightly and looked as though she was trying to collapse into herself. She frowned. “He saved us,” she muttered.

“I guess…I guess we should have trusted him all along,” Leigh added guiltily. Biting her lip, Leigh reached over and took Aila’s hand in her own, squeezing it gently. The doctor was still visibly upset. Leigh looked right at her. “I’m _sorry,_ ” she told her seriously. “For everything.”

Rat watched the two of them, still hugging Charles tightly. She felt her throat tighten. She silently wondered if things could get much worse.

“Some birthday,” she whispered to herself, sure that nobody had heard.

But someone had.

“Ja…some birthday.”

\--

After a mind-numbing and seemingly never-ending journey, everyone stepped off the train they caught later on, arriving in a new station. Exhausted, and lost, Leigh, Aila and Katja couldn’t help but look to Rat, hoping she could guide them.

Rat looked a bit worried. “Come on,” she told them quietly. “No use in hanging around.”

“Where _are_ we anyways?” Aila asked, having lost track of the towns and cities as they jumped from trains to buses to trains again. They’d been travelling all through the afternoon and well into the night. The local clock told them it had turned two in the morning, and by now, everyone was sore and exhausted.

“Welcome to Geneva, ladies,” Rat murmured, looking around as they stepped out of the station.

“Can we get to a hotel and rest for a bit?” Aila dared to ask.

Rat seemed to be thinking intently about something, but she eventually nodded. “Might be safer that way,” she muttered in agreement.

“Do you even _know_ where we’re going?” Leigh asked, though she sounded more tired than challenging.

“Yeah…I do have somewhere in mind, though going there at night won’t be safe,” Rat explained. “Too much crime on the streets at night; trust me. We’re all exhausted anyways, and it’s not exactly close to here.”

The group made their way to a small, relatively cheap motel, which was just a short walk from the train station. It wasn’t the nicest place, but nobody seemed to care as they booked a room with two large beds, deciding it would be safer to stay together for the night. It would be hard for Maggie to locate them so soon, but they wanted to take no chances.

After taking showers, everyone retired to bed without a word.

\--

The following morning, the clones woke slowly one by one, still feeling drained from the sudden trip, though a good sleep did everyone good. Aila stretched as she awoke, pleased the heavy exhaustion had offered a dreamless sleep for once.

The doctor looked around as Katja and Leigh started to wake as well. “Where’s Rat?” she mumbled, noticing she and the dogs were gone, though her bag had been left by the bed where it had been the night before.

“God knows,” Leigh murmured, head pounding. She rubbed her forehead, stifling a yawn, and then looked at her battered hand. She hadn’t spared a thought for it up until now. It really was quite painful.

“It…it vas our birthday yesterday,” Katja mumbled suddenly.

Leigh and Aila stared. “Your birthday?” Aila repeated, eyes wide. 

Katja nodded. “Ja. Mine…mine and Rat’s.”

Neither Leigh nor Aila spoke as the German stood up and carefully made her way to leave the room for the bathroom. A strange silence followed.

Leigh swallowed hard. She couldn’t imagine having to go through such an ordeal on her birthday, and what was more, Katja and Rat suffered through it together? Was there something they weren’t telling her and Aila?

Leigh snapped back to reality when Aila sat herself down next to her. The hairdresser offered a weak smile. “I meant what I said. I really _am_ sorry.”

Aila gave a small smile and nodded. “Don’t worry about it,” she said, before catching sight of Leigh’s bruised hands. “Leigh, what the hell did you do to your hands?” she asked, wondering how on earth she hadn’t noticed that before. Then again, thinking about it, Leigh had kept her arms crossed through most of the trip. Had she been hiding them on purpose?

Leigh looked away, considering trying to hide them again, though the pain was worse than it was yesterday. She knew she’d be stupid to hide it, and so she reluctantly showed the doctor the extent of the damage and explained what she’d done.

Aila sighed and shook her head, before getting up and going over to her bag. Leigh watched her pull out a medical kit. Aila wasted no time cleaning the open cuts and applying antibiotic ointment to them. She then wrapped Leigh's hand  in a clean gauze.

“Tell me if the pain gets any worse in the next few days,” she said after a few moments.

Leigh nodded quietly and sighed, feeling guilty for how much she kept relying on Aila to treat her whenever she did something stupid and injured herself. “Sorry…” she said again.

Aila nodded. “I’m sorry too,” she said quietly. “I didn’t mean you should forget Rachel. I understand if you want to go back and see her again.”

Leigh shook her head. “I can’t. She wouldn’t…I don’t _think_ she’d join us, and I wouldn’t feel right leaving you all anyway,” she decided on. She shrugged and stared down at her bandaged hand.

Aila frowned, seeing how torn Leigh was over the whole situation, though she wasn’t sure there was much she could do to help. Leigh sat quietly for a while, thinking to herself. She would not talk about Rachel again. It wasn’t worth it; not when just mentioning her name seemed to cause arguments and disagreements…no. Leigh’s focus had to be on those around her.

As she stood up to look out the window to see if she could spot Rat outside anywhere, Leigh held in a sigh. She had to trust that her parents were safe; that they were able to get away. If there was any way of making contact with them to be sure, Leigh promised herself she would do it.

But not until the killer was caught and all of this was over. For now, there was no point in worrying.

“Let’s find Rat,” she told Aila, turning back to look at her and smiling. “I think she and Katja deserve a better birthday, even if it’s a day late. Don’t you?”

Aila smiled and nodded. “Yeah, definitely,” she agreed without hesitation. “What do you have in mind?”

Leigh thought about it for a minute, and grinned. “We should make a cake!”

Aila raised an eyebrow. Leigh’s sudden good mood raised her own spirits. “A cake? Have you ever made one before?”

Leigh shrugged, still grinning. “Can’t be that hard.”

Aila opened her mouth to say something else, but closed it again and glanced over as the door opened. Rat walked into the room with the two dogs on their leashes. She noticed Leigh and Aila and nodded. “Ah, you’re up. Good. Where’s Katja?” she asked, looking around before the bathroom door opened and Katja walked out.

“Guten morgen,” the German woman said quietly, before moving to her bag to get ready to leave.

Rat noticed Aila and Leigh watching her and Katja. She stared at them. “What?” she demanded, but the other two clones shook their heads.

“Nothing,” they said together. Even Katja stood up straight to give them a confused and suspecting look.

“So where are we heading?” Leigh asked to change the subject. She spun a few times on the spot, trying to locate her bag to check she had all her possessions.

Rat grumbled something as she did the same. “You’ll see,” she told the group. “Hurry up and get dressed, and we’ll go.”

\--

As the group of clones made their way across the vast city of Geneva, Aila noticed that many of the buildings looked very old. She wondered how long the city had been here for. It was a very pretty place though, with trees and mountains, and what looked like a vast lake close by. If she didn’t know Switzerland was a landlocked country, she might have mistaken the large body of water to be the sea. Rat told her it was called Lake Geneva, and was one of the largest lakes in Western Europe.

Aila could feel that everyone was tense after yesterday’s stressful ordeal, though the doctor tried to keep a positive mindset after her conversation with Leigh earlier in the morning. Leigh kept trying to find out where they were going, though Rat wouldn’t say.  As secretive as the hacker was being, she seemed to have a very good idea of how to get around the city.

After an hour of travelling, alternating between buses and walking, Rat stopped and glanced back at the group. “Stay close and move quickly. It’s not safe to be on the street in this area of town,” she told them.

Leigh stared at her. “Not _safe_? Oh for fuck’s sake. Where the bloody hell are you even _taking_ us?”

“You’ll see when we get there,” Rat said, trying to keep the annoyance out of her voice, though she seemed edgy to be out in the open now. “Just come on, quickly.”

Leigh, although anxious to know the area was unsafe, couldn’t help looking around for signs of shops as they walked. She wondered how long it would be before they all needed new supplies, but for now she kept quiet and simply followed the others to wherever Rat was taking them.

At long last, they reached their destination. The building was large, with its front door and windows boarded up. The steps leading up to the place were cracked and old, and covered in broken glass.

“What the hell?” Leigh asked when they stopped. “What _is_ this place?”

“You’ll see,” Rat murmured, leading the clones to an alleyway between the buildings. It was overrun with weeds, plants, bottles, and garbage. Rat ducked under a broken iron fence and made her way to a small and very hidden doorway on the side of the building. She opened the lock on the door and ushered the clones down the old and cracked stairs into the basement. She locked the door again behind her.

“I'm not sure I like this...” Aila said uncertainly as she made her way down into the darkness, which smelled strongly of dust.

“It's safe, I promise,” Rat told her.

When the staircase gave way to the basement, everyone paused and looked around. There were many empty wooden shelves along the massive space. The clones wandered around curiously, frowning in confusion. There were books and papers scattered around everywhere, and a narrow path led through the mess to another staircase.

“Is this…a library?” Aila asked nobody in particular as she looked around.

Rat nodded as she approached the staircase leading up to the first floor. “Yeah,” she said slowly and carefully.

“Why a library?” Aila questioned.

Rat hesitated. “I live here,” she answered after a moment. Everyone looked up at her curiously. The hacker just shrugged and averted her gaze. “This city has been my home since I was adopted shortly after birth. This particular building has been my home for the last seven years,” she explained as she walked up the old wooden stairs. She unlocked another door when she reached the top.

This door’s security was fancier than the last, and required an electronic code as well as a key to unlock. The first floor of the building was spacious and much tidier than the basement. The room was dimly illuminated by several small lights strung up on the ceiling when Rat flicked a switch on the wall. “Most everything’s on the third floor,” she stated.

While the outside of the building was boarded up to give the illusion of abandonment, the inside was reinforced with iron bars which would make a break-in very difficult. The shelves were still full of books, though many of them looked as though they hadn’t been touched in years.

Rat checked the iron bars were still firmly in place with a few solid tugs. Charles and Bianca made their way up another staircase by themselves, knowing the layout of the building.

“This place is huge,” Aila commented, looking over all the books on the first floor.

Rat snorted. “Wait till you see everything upstairs.” She walked over to the staircase  the dogs had wandered up. “The second floor’s the main library, and the third has its fair share of old shelves as well.”

“Why are you telling us all this?” Leigh asked cautiously as they walked up the stairs to the second floor, trying to phrase her inquisition as tactfully as she could. “I thought you hated everybody except Katja, and didn’t want to tell us anything about yourself. Why suddenly lead us to your home and even admit that Geneva is your hometown?”

Rat glanced over at Leigh, and then at Katja. The German woman smiled and gave a nod of encouragement.

The hacker sighed before turning her attention back to Leigh. “We have nowhere else to go for the time being, and by staying in the country, we don’t risk our passports being tracked for now. Look, against my own advice, I’m _choosing_ to trust you with this. _Don’t_ make me regret it.”

“Wait…if this is your hometown, doesn’t that mean DYAD are here?” Aila interjected. The thought had only just dawned on her.

Rat shook her head. “No, not anymore. The facility that used to be in this town was shut down six years ago due to a few documents of illegal activities being… _accidentally_ leaked to the police,” she said, and a small smirk gracing her lips. “Many of its scientists were either deported or thrown in prison where they belong for illegal experiments, as well as for performing illegal alterations on human subjects.”

“Alterations?” Aila asked, raising an eyebrow.

Rat nodded as she led the other three women through the rows and rows of bookshelves on the second floor. This floor was very dark, with just enough light to show the cracks in the boarded up windows. “They call it ‘Neolution’. Self-directed human evolution. Long story short, they’re screwing with human genetics and making _really_ freaky things happen. For example, a new ‘thing’ I guess, is people wanting one pure white eye. There’s also a rumor of a guy who’s been given a fully functioning biological tail.”

“ _Excuse me?_ A-a _tail?!_ That sounds like science fiction,” Aila said, glancing at Leigh uncertainly.

“And human cloning doesn’t? Leekie loves screwing with everyone in every way. We’re part of it too, though I haven’t yet been able to dig up _why_ we were created. Knowing Leekie, it’s probably a case of _‘I wonder what would happen if’_ ,” Rat muttered, clearly disgusted. “He has _no_ respect for life, period.”

The hacker took them to yet another staircase, bringing them to the third floor. This floor was much brighter than the three lower levels, with its windows unobstructed by boards or bars. A large part of the ceiling was made of glass as well, letting in copious amounts of natural light. The clones shielded their eyes at the sudden change in lighting, momentarily blinded.

When Aila’s eyes adjusted, she wandered over to one of the windows and stared out over the city skyline. “Woah…Leigh, come look at this!” she beckoned the auburn-haired clone. From the third story windows, the pair could see over many of the other buildings in the immediate area, as well as rows of trees and plants, and a good view of Lake Geneva and the mountains beyond.

“Yeah…very nice,” Leigh muttered with a hint of sarcasm. She had to admit the view _was_ spectacular, but right now it didn’t seem to matter. Now they'd reached a safe place, thoughts of Lucas, Maggie, and the other clones were crashing back to her, as was the urgency to stop Helena, wherever she was.

\--

“Jesus shitting Christ.”

“Yeah. The last few days have been rough.”

Rat was sitting slouched in front of her laptop that evening, talking to Beth, who was watching her with a look of concern on her face over a Skype call. Rat, however, yawned and dismissed Beth’s worried look with a wave of her hand.

“But we’re fine,” she assured the detective quickly. “We…we got away.”

“Well, that explains why I haven’t been able to get in touch,” Beth said with a sigh. “You _sure_ you’re all OK?”

“Ve are still alive, ja?” came Katja’s voice as she approached and slumped down next to Rat. “Lucas, however…”

The three of them remained silent for a moment. Rat frowned. “If it was safe to find out what happened to him, you know I’d do it, Katja,” she said quietly to the German. “But chances are-”

“Don’t,” Katja told her, holding up her hand. “Can’t be helped. No point in…in…” She trailed off, turned away from the laptop, and coughed rather violently. Rat’s frown turned into a look of panic.

“Uh, you OK there?” Beth asked from the laptop.

Katja nodded quickly. “Ja. Excuse me.” She got up and hurried out of the room, inspecting her hand as she went.

Beth stared at Rat. “I don’t think you lot really _are_ fine,” she told the hacker accusingly.

Rat raised her eyebrows. “What do _you_ know?” she challenged Beth.

“I’m a cop,” Beth reminded Rat sternly.

Rat tutted and rolled her eyes. “Katja…she’s sick, but I’m sure she’ll be OK,” she explained though she struggled to believe her own words. However, she did not want to worry Beth. It wasn’t her problem.

“Right…” Beth responded. “Well listen, I just want-”

She was interrupted by a loud clanging sound coming from the other room behind Rat. Rat turned to look at the door to the room just in time to see Leigh poking her head out, face covered in what looked like a pale powder, while Aila crept through various doors with her arms full of food items, apparently looking for something.

“The hell are you two _doing?_ ” Rat snapped.

“Nothing,” the other clones responded. Rat stared. Beth also stared.

“Go back to your Skype call,” Leigh told Rat firmly.

“Yeah,” Aila agreed, nodding, as she kept her hands behind her back. “And stay out of this room.” She and Leigh disappeared, closing the door behind them. Rat continued to stare.

“What was that about?” Beth asked.

Rat shrugged. “Hell knows. Not sure I care much anyway.”

“Right. Well, look, I’m gonna have to get going. I’m teaching Ali how to use a gun in a bit,” Beth changed the subject.

“Ali?” Rat questioned with a raised eyebrow.

“Alison,” Beth corrected herself. “I dunno; she’s _really_ anxious about this whole thing. I figure she’ll feel more confident if she learns to protect herself.”

“Well, at least that’s _one_ clone willing to take this whole thing seriously,” Rat sighed as she ran a hand through her hair. “It seems Janika and Aryanna are trying to go about things as if they’re still completely unaware…”

“Their choice though,” Beth said with a shrug.

“Yeah…I know. Cheers Beth. We’ll keep you updated if anything happens,” Rat said, giving the detective a small wave. She closed off the Skype call just as another loud clang sounded, followed by one of the two clones cursing at something.

“ _Enfer putain!_ ” the hacker cursed as she jumped at the sound, before glaring over at the makeshift kitchen area. “If you two mess up my kitchen, you’re not getting fed until it’s clean again!”

“We know, don’t worry!” Aila called out from behind the wooden wall of what was once an office area.

Rat just shook her head and made her way over to a large round table and booted up her desktop computers. The setup was elaborate and consisted of four separate monitors. They were connected to a large, expensive-looking tower sitting on the floor under the desk. The desk itself was covered in papers, as well as a framed photograph of two clones together. Rat stared at the photo for a moment, before sighing and shaking her head. She put it down flat against the wood so the others wouldn't notice it. The hacker the pulled up files of another clone and read quietly, trying to block out the sounds of whatever Leigh and Aila were up to.

“Who ez zat?”

Rat glanced over, having not heard Katja approach, though the German woman stood right behind her. The hacker shrugged. She debated lying, but she knew it wouldn’t be right to do so, and so she motioned for Katja to read for herself.

“Jennifer Fitzsimmons? Who ez she?” Katja asked, tilting her head.

“A clone of American origin who’s currently living at the DYAD facility in London,” Rat explained. “She’s…also sick. She was diagnosed six months ago. I’m looking to see if they’ve made any headway on a cure, though typically, they haven’t. Leekie’s probably too busy getting a sick kick out of his ‘treatments’.” Rat's eyes grew dark at her own words.

Katja frowned. “Can vee help her?”

“I wish, but that would be beyond dangerous. We’d need to infiltrate the very heart of DYAD, and given our current standing with them, I doubt that’d be any sort of possible.”

“ _SHIT A BRICK!_ ”

The exclamation came from the kitchen area, and Rat had had just about enough of ignoring the two other clones doing whatever on earth they were doing. “Seriously, those two are in for it if they’re making a mess,” she growled, standing up and marching over to the door and forcing it open.

Leigh and Aila flailed at Rat’s sudden appearance. Aila slammed shut the oven door, wafting away a large cloud of black smoke and standing in the way to hide it. Meanwhile, Leigh put down a large bowl on the counter and stood before it, wiping flour off her face.

The entire kitchen was a mess with various ingredients, bowls and utensils lying abandoned throughout it, and hundreds of chocolate chips were scattered on the floor. Someone had apparently dropped a bag of them, as well as a bag of sugar, which looked as though it had been knocked off the counter.

Rat froze. “You’ve made a _RIGHT_ mess of my kitchen!” she hissed, horrified. “What the HELL is all the shouting about?!”

“Aila burned her hand,” Leigh said with a shrug, and the doctor nodded, showing Rat her now red, blistering skin where she had caught it on the smoking oven.

Rat struggled to respond, stuck in horrified silence as Katja crept up behind her to see what all the fuss was about. She looked around at the mess and snorted a laugh.

“It’s not funny Katja!” Rat scolded.

“Of course it ez funny,” Katja chuckled, eyeing Leigh in great amusement. “These two are hopeless.”

“No we’re _not_ ; at least _I’m_ not,” Aila huffed, crossing her arms. “It was going well until Leigh decided to _burn_ everything-”

“ _Burn WHAT!?_ ” Rat demanded, fists clenched in fury.

Aila and Leigh exchanged glances as if debating whether or not to show the other clones what they had done. Leigh just shrugged and shook her head, and Aila finally moved out of the way and opened the oven door again.

“It was meant to be a surprise,” she began explaining as she pulled the contents out of the oven. It was large and circular, with bits of burnt cookie dough and chocolate chips melting and dripping to the kitchen floor. “But…”

Rat stared at the…thing, whatever it was meant to be. She couldn’t believe these two could possibly be so incompetent. How on earth did they _manage_ by themselves? “Clean all of this up,” she snapped at them. “And bin whatever that thing is. You two are _not_ to come in here again.”

“It was supposed to be a cake,” Leigh muttered, glaring at the floor. “For you guys…since Katja said it was your birthday yesterday.”

At that, Rat’s anger deflated and was replaced with genuine surprise. She glanced up at Katja, looking lost for a moment, as if she wasn’t entirely sure how to react to such a gesture.

Katja still looked bemused at the whole situation. She shook her head as she giggled. “Zat vas a very sveet zing to do…zank you,” she chuckled.

Rat was dumbfounded at Katja’s amusement. She turned to walk out of the room without another word. Watching the hacker leave, Leigh grumbled and kicked the table in frustration. “So much for that,” she sighed, moving to set the disaster of a cake on the counter to cool down before it went in the bin.

Aila frowned and quietly ran her hand under the cool water of the tap. She knew Leigh had wanted to try to get onto more friendly terms through the gesture, but that had gone and blown up in a spectacular array of smoke and fire.

Katja looked at Leigh. “I vill talk to her. Do not vorry. Rat...she doesn’t have much experience vith social situations like zis. Birthdays vere never more zan another day for her, so I don’t zink she really knows how to react to somezing like zis. It ez not personal.”

Leigh and Aila simply looked at each other, both feeling uneasy at the situation. With a sigh, Aila turned to leave the room to tend to her damaged hand, while Katja attempted to help Leigh clean up.


	15. Chapter 14

Rat had been sitting in silence on the second floor for the last hour or so. The room was deserted apart from herself and her dogs. She'd perched herself on top of a bookshelf and had been throwing dog toys and balls for the animals to chase.

“Stupid Leigh,” she muttered to herself a few times. “Stupid Aila.”

She sighed when she started to grow hungry, and wondered if she should make her way back to the kitchen to get something to eat. Just then, the door opened, and a very anxious  Leigh appeared at the door frame.

“Hey,” she said to Rat uncertainly. “Can I come in?”

Rat shrugged, but said nothing. Leigh watched Bianca happily trot over to the hacker to give her the ball she'd just chased. Rat threw it again, and Bianca sped off in excitement.

Leigh closed the door and stepped into the room. She looked up at Rat gingerly. “Erm…I’m sorry about the cake,” she began, shrugging a bit. “Can’t say I’ve ever tried to make one myself before...not from scratch.”

Rat managed the tiniest of smiles. “Forget it,” she told the hairdresser.

Leigh simply nodded, and looked down at Bianca when the hyperactive dog dropped the ball at her feet. She and the dog stared at each other; Bianca practically smiling with her tongue hanging out.

“You want me to play?” Leigh questioned the animal.

Rat rolled her eyes. “Go ahead,” she said.

Leigh grinned, bent down, and picked up the slobbery ball. “Nice,” she muttered, but she threw it anyway. “Go on then, mad dog.”

Bianca hurried after it, yapping happily. Leigh smiled and reluctantly approached the bookcase Rat was sitting on.

“Always loved animals,” she said, though she wasn’t sure why she was telling Rat this. “My mum…she works… _worked…_ in an animal shelter. She was always bringing cats and dogs and everything else home when the shelter got too full.”

“Yeah. It’s in your file,” Rat said a little bluntly.

Leigh resisted the urge to roll her eyes or comment with a sarcastic remark. “Yeah,” she said instead.

Bianca came trotting back up to Leigh, her curly tail wagging. Leigh petted her before throwing the ball again. She watched it bounce between the rows of books. “She’s a Chow Chow, right?” Leigh asked, attempting to make conversation. “I remember seeing one as a kid. Always thought the blue tongues were the strangest things. How old is she?”

“Two,” Rat responded. “She’s pedigree, technically, but the fussy breeder didn’t think she was up to show standards and ditched her. I saw it happen. It was right outside this building. He just drove up and dumped her as a six week old puppy. I happened to be outside getting the shopping to bring in when it happened. Gave him a right piece of my mind when I found out why the hell he was just leaving a defenseless puppy behind. I took her in after that.”

Leigh stared up at the hacker. “That’s disgusting. How the hell people can toss animals out just because they might not belong on a show floor...I don't get it. Those kinds of breeders piss me off...” she trailed off just as Bianca came running back again with the ball.

“Mmhm,” Rat nodded. “Charles was already getting on in years at that point, so he wasn’t too happy about having a new sister,” she said with a small smirk. “But he got over it pretty quickly.”

“Is he a purebred too?” Leigh asked.

“Yeah, he’s a Borzoi. I got him from my cousin when I was eighteen, almost nineteen. My parents wanted me to have something to do outside of…” she paused then, but bit her lip and sighed, as if forcing herself to continue. “Outside of keeping my sister company in the hospital. I suppose I’m glad they did. Charles has been a lovely companion the last ten years.”

Leigh raised her eyebrows in surprise. “Your sister?” she repeated.

“My…my twin sister,” Rat continued.

Leigh became genuinely curious and surprised that Rat was telling her this. “I thought…”

“You thought what?” Rat dared her.

Leigh hesitated. “I…well, correct me if I’m wrong, but I thought maybe you and Katja…”

Rat didn’t look at Leigh, but a small, impressed smile appeared on her lips. “How’d you figure _that_ out?” She asked.

Leigh shrugged. “Same birthday. Could have been coincidence, I know, but she’s practically the only person you’ll talk to about anything.”

“I’m talking to _you_ right now, aren’t I?” Rat asked.

Leigh just stared at her. She continued to stare even when Bianca returned once more with the ball and dropped it at her feet. “You know what I mean,” Leigh said after a moment. “But…now I’m confused.”

Rat inhaled deeply, but she did not release a sigh. She fixed her gaze on the wall opposite her, considering her words carefully. “Katja was separated from us at birth,” she told Leigh slowly but firmly.

“Us? Triplets then?” Leigh guessed.

Rat nodded. “Katja went to the Obingers. Me and…me and Cecile…we went to scientists working for DYAD.”

Leigh didn’t know what to say. She remained still as she watched Rat, trying to process this new information. Bianca eagerly nudged the ball with her nose so it rolled and hit Leigh’s foot, but the hairdresser ignored the dog.

“Bianca, s'asseoir,” Rat commanded, and the young dog immediately sat down and stopped pestering Leigh to play.

The hacker brought her knees to her chest, her gaze blank as she stared into space for several moments. Her eyes closed slowly on their own accord. She promised Katja she would try to open up to Leigh, as afraid as she was of doing so.

“You know already Katja was put up for adoption because her birth mother died,” Rat breathed. “The reasons for her death were simple really. She was a small woman, and birthing triplets is a high-risk process at the best of times. After it was over, Lucas decided to give us up for the reasons he already told you. The Obingers took one child, because they didn't have room for more during that time. Cecile and I stayed where we were for a little while, until Leekie decided he couldn’t be doing waiting around for someone to take us. He shoved us onto two scientists, both of whom never really wanted us to begin with. They were only repaying a debt to Leekie, as far as I can tell. We didn’t know we had another sister. I only found that out later on.”

Leigh frowned. “But Lucas didn’t say anything about Katja having sisters. He said it was just her.”

Rat nodded. “Yeah,” she muttered, her face twisting into a scowl. “That’s because he thinks both of us are gone for good. That’s also why Katja struggled to get along with him, because she knew he wasn’t telling her everything. You have NO idea how much I wanted to tell him off for simply acting like we never existed, but doing so would have put me in danger, since he was still one of _them_.”

“Ah,” Leigh said understandingly. She waited a moment, and then invited herself to sit down next to Rat. She frowned a bit. “I see…”

“Cecile got sick,” Rat willed herself to say. Her voice echoed slightly through the room. Leigh wondered if Rat was regretting all she was saying already. “She got sick the same way Katja’s sick. That’s how it started off. We went to the DYAD facility in London for...treatment…we were there for three years, and then...”

Leigh swallowed hard and watched Rat silently. The hacker was strangely still and emotionless on the surface as she spoke.

“She didn’t survive, did she?” Leigh whispered at last.

Rat shot up instantly, throwing herself off of the bookcase to march across the room as if wanting to leave. About half way there though, she stopped, and turned around to face Leigh, as if struggling with herself about walking back over.

“That’s how you know DYAD can’t help,” Leigh found the courage to continue. “That’s why you hate them so much, isn't it?”

Rat stared at the floor, both hands clutching her own arms tightly as her body trembled. Leigh fell silent and allowed the other woman the space to speak in her own time, if at all. She couldn’t imagine losing someone she was close to like that.

“No…” Rat said after several minutes, making no move to leave or return. “An illness alone did not kindle this fire. Nature taking its course is one thing, but…” she trailed off, taking a deep breath. Leigh stared at her with wide eyes, quietly waiting to see what she would do or say next.

Rat scowled. Her nails bit into her arms hard enough that Leigh was sure she'd pierce the skin at any moment. “Leekie…he said he would _help_ her…he said he would _cure_ her from…from being sick…but he _lied_ …his ‘cures’ made her _worse_ …his ‘cures’ made her _suffer._ He didn’t care. He…he just saw an _experiment_ …not a person. He didn’t give a _SHIT_ about her pain, and I will _NEVER_ forgive him.”

Rat stifled a sob and fled the room at last, leaving Leigh sitting alone with the dogs for company. The hairdresser considered going after Rat, but she decided against it. Instead, a burning anger filled her at the thought of Leekie; an anger deeper than she had ever felt for DYAD before.

Did Rachel know about _this_ too? Did she support what Leekie had done?

Leigh snapped herself out of her raging thoughts before she allowed them to consume her again, instead focusing on throwing the ball for Bianca when the canine urged her to play once more.

\--

The atmosphere between the clones was rather miserable for the next few days. Everyone remained anxious and concerned for Katja, however much she tried to assure them not to worry. Even Beth expressed concern over their Skype calls, and it became apparent why she was so interested the next time they made contact with her.

“I’m sorry; _what?_ ” Leigh snapped at the detective one quiet afternoon. She and Aila had borrowed Rat’s laptop while Rat and Katja tended to the dogs and did their own thing.

“Don’t freak at me. I’m just the messenger,” Beth told the hairdresser defensively.

“Let me get this straight,” Leigh said firmly. “You got in touch with the other one – the scientist-”

“Yep,” Beth interrupted coolly.

“And she won’t let you give us her name until _we_ provide _her_ with our own blood and hair samples?”

“Yep,” Beth said again.

“Beth, _what the hell?!_ ” Leigh shrieked, causing Aila to inch away from her covering her ears.

“Like I said, it wasn’t my idea,” Beth shrugged.

“Yeah, but you agreed to it!”

“Look, I…I might have mentioned something about Katja’s illness to her,” Beth began guiltily, and Leigh and Aila glared at her through the screen with very angry eyes. “And I don’t know; she seems interested to learn more about it, and she wants the samples as proof of your existence…”

“Isn’t meeting you and Alison proof enough?” Aila asked, aghast.

“She hasn’t actually met Alison yet,” Beth explained shortly. “Look, either way, I think it’s mostly about this illness, whatever her reasons are…”

“Rat will never agree to it,” Leigh shook her head firmly as she spoke. “I’m not sure I like it either to be honest.”

“Rat will never agree to what?” a voice asked, and Leigh glanced over to see the hacker returning from whatever she’d been doing downstairs. The hairdresser filled her in on what Beth had done, and Rat shook her head. “You MUST be joking,” she spat instantly. “There’s no way in hell I’m handing over my blood and information to someone I don’t know.”

“Yeah, I’m not too keen on it either,” Aila agreed, rubbing her neck. “Maybe if we ever _meet,_ but…”

“OK,” Katja said with a nod, and Rat stared at her for a moment.

“ _WHAT?!_ Katja, you _cannot_ be that-” she started, but Katja held up a hand to silence her.

“If Beth’s scientist friend can help, ez it not vorth it? DYAD cannot help vith sickness, and you _know_ vat vill happen if vee leave it alone vith no help at all. Vee _need_ to trust somebody, and I’d razer it be scientist clone over one of z _em_ , ja?” Rat bit her lip hard and looked away, hating that Katja had a valid point. Katja put her hand on Rat’s shoulder. “It vill be fine, schwester.”

“You don’t _know_ that,” Rat muttered. “Though I know you’ll just do what you want to anyways. What should be done about Aryanna and Janika?”

“We could ask them if they want to give samples over Skype?” Aila offered. “And if they say yes, we can go there to do it? I’m qualified to draw blood. Is there any way we can order the right medical equipment to do it?”

Rat nodded. “Yeah, you can buy anything on the internet,” she said, before she looked down at the laptop. “What about you? You gonna fork over hair and blood to this girl too?”

“Yeah,” Beth said as she nodded calmly.

Rat sighed and muttered something under her breath. She had nothing more to say on the matter, so she maed her way into the kitchen area to put on the kettle.

“Tea please!” Leigh called as she heard the switch.

“Who said I’m making _you_ anything?” Rat’s voice snapped.

“Please?” Leigh asked, trying to sound nice.

Rat groaned loudly and irritably. “Anyone else?” she asked stiffly, but nobody responded.

“Shit, I think Paul’s back,” Beth said suddenly as she looked around, alarmed. “I’d better go. Catch you later.”

Beth ended the call to go and deal with her boyfriend while Aila, Leigh and Katja considered their options.

“Suppose we ought to call Janika and Aryanna,” Aila mused.

Leigh nodded, and Katja reached for Rat’s laptop to begin scrolling through her contacts list. “Janika first; it has been a vhile,” she said with a shrug. Aila and Leigh waited as Katja started up a call. Janika did not respond at first, so Katja typed a message.

‘ _Please pick up if you are there, urgent update._ ’

Rat entered the room at that moment carrying two cups of hot drinks. “Tea,” she said bitterly, half slamming one down in front of Leigh. Leigh murmured a thanks, and rolled her eyes at the lack of sugar in the brew. She was certain Rat had left it out on purpose. “What’re you doing _now?_ ” the hacker asked the clones.

“Janika,” Katja grumbled in response.

“That’s not a valid response,” Rat said stiffly. She sat down next to Aila just as the Austrian answered the call.

“Hang on!” Janika’s unmistakable voice echoed through the laptop. Her hair looked bluer than ever, and she seemed more hyperactive than usual. “I am trying to catch the – _AAH!_ ”

Janika ducked down at that moment as something large and furry and white leapt at her from on top of something. The unmistakable sounds of hissing and growling told Leigh it was a cat.

“What the hell…” she muttered in disbelief.

“This cat, this _stray_ came out of nowhere and has been harassing my _BAT!_ ” Janika shrieked, now running from the white feline.

“Your bat?” Aila repeated.

“Yes, my bat! My poor batty, he was minding his own business on the windowsill as I was out hunting flies, and this cat, it _pounced_ at him yesterday and I _just_ managed to save him, but now this fleabag will not go away and it keeps _getting into my house –_ hang on, it won’t stop hissing at me! Shoo!”

The clones could only watch as Janika ran past the camera again, followed by a crash and more yelling. After a few minutes, the Austrian clone flopped down on the sofa, looking entirely spent as she cradled a small creature in her hands.

“Finally got the friggin' fleabag outta here. Dunno how the heck it keeps getting in!” she grumbled, before lightly nuzzling the creature in her hand. “There, there, Luca, that nasty old fleabag ain’t getting aholda ya,” she cooed, before looking back at the camera. “So, whatcha need?”

“Uh…” Leigh shook her head and closed her mouth, before remembering why they had originally called Janika. “Yeah, OK, we got some stuff to fill you in on…” she said, before explaining about the Canadian clone Beth and her scientist friend. She then explained the situation of blood and hair samples.

Janika tilted her head. “Eh? A health condition? What kinda health condition?” she asked, frowning.

“A type of respiratory illness,” Rat said quietly. “One that makes it…hard to breathe. It’s fatal until a cure is found.”

“And this whatserface friend of Beth’s is lookin' into who’s got it and who don’t?” Janika asked, confused.

“Something like that, ja,” Katja nodded.

“Eh…‘spose I don’t mind, though what’s she need me passport and driver ID for?” Janika asked. She lightly petted the small bat in her hand.

“She’s a clone too, and vants proof of the existence of European clones,” Katja said.

Janika frowned, but before she could say anything else, the cat from earlier reappeared, making the Austrian clone shriek.

“HOW THE FRIGGIN' HELL?!” Janika gasped, flying off of the sofa. “I SWEAR I’M GONNA FRIGGIN' SKIN YA IN A SECOND-”

Just then, the cat jumped at the laptop and the Skype call cut.

“Something tells me she does not close her vindows,” Katja said coolly after a few seconds of awkward silence.

“What is it with clones and _windows?_ ” Aila muttered to herself, completely dumbstruck.

“She…she wouldn’t actually skin the cat, would she?” Leigh asked, concerned.

Rat shrugged. “She’s weird enough. I wouldn’t put it past her.”

“You are too cynical,” Katja said with a roll of her eyes.

“Who keeps pet _bats_ though?” Aila complained.

“Who _cares?_ ” Rat snapped as she dragged the laptop towards her. “Let’s see if Aryanna’s online and call Janika again later.”

Calling Aryanna was harder. The Italian clone didn’t appear to be online at all during the afternoon, which Aila put down to her being at work. It wasn’t until evening that Aryanna’s status changed to ‘online’, and Katja shot up excitedly, having been sprawled on the floor with the laptop in front of her face for the majority of the day. She called the clones over and attempted to make contact.

Although they finally had Aryanna on webcam, it was easier for them to converse through typing rather than talking, so a silent video call took place, in which Rat hastily explained all that needed to be explained.

“Will you all _back off and give me some space?_ ” she growled at the other clones. “Honestly; I’ll _tell_ you what she says. I can’t be doing with you lot _watching_ like this.”

Aryanna didn’t look impressed. In fact, she looked rather pale and tired at this latest revelation, and began typing to explain she wasn’t very happy with Beth’s request.

“Yeah, none of us are, Aryanna,” Rat said after deciding she couldn’t be bothered to type anymore. “But I can assure you it’s safe. We can come to you to get samples if you can’t come here.”

Aryanna still looked hesitant, quickly asking if there was any other way to get the scientist's help with the medical condition.

Rat shrugged. “I don’t know. It’ll take us at least a week to get the stuff needed in anyways, so you can think about it and then decide, OK?”

Aryanna sighed but nodded, though she still looked unhappy. Rat didn’t bother telling her about DYAD taking blood samples from her every few months regardless, not wanting to freak her out any more.

The hacker stood up when the call ended and made her way over to her desktop computers. “Hey doc, what kinda stuff do you need to do this?” she asked, pulling up a website where she could order medical items without any questions being asked.

Aila walked over, frowning at the website. “Is that legal?”

Rat gave her an unimpressed look. “Is _anything_ I do legal?”

Aila frowned, but had Rat order several thick plastic vials, a few specialized syringes, a few rubber tourniquets, and a briefcase to hold the vials safely in place.

\--

The following week, Rat and Leigh returned to Italy, along with Aila. Katja opted to stay at the library with the dogs, despite Rat worrying over her illness. The Italian clone reluctantly agreed to trust the others, and hand over samples for the scientist clone.

The group agreed to meet up at Aryanna’s house, and while she wouldn’t explain exactly what had happened with her monitor, Aryanna assured them it was taken care of, and that is was safe for them to come over.

When they had arrived at the house, Leigh instinctively looked around to make sure they weren’t being followed or watched in any way, even after being invited inside the house. Aryanna watched with curiosity as Leigh went over to the nearest window and stared out, before signing something to Rat.

“You have _no_ idea,” Rat muttered, shaking her head at Leigh.

Aryanna just shook her head before walking over to the table, picking up pieces of paper showing scans of her driver ID, passport, and birth certificate. She still looked uncertain about handing them over.

Leigh pulled herself away from the window and crossed the room. “Yeah, we’re not exactly thrilled about it either,” she assured a very worried Aryanna. “But it’s our safest bet. We don’t know if this illness could happen to _all_ of us, and if it does…well…we need to find a cure.” She took a seat at the table without invitation and rested her chin on her hand. This really was the best option for them now; there was no denying it.

Aryanna agreed, although she was reluctant. She allowed Aila to prepare to draw blood later that day, looking slightly nervous as the doctor carried the needle closer to her arm. Rat and Leigh tried to look busy, feeling rather awkward and wanting to give the other two clones space to do what needed to be done.

“There,” Aila said with a sigh a while later. “Sorry…” she told Aryanna, who was still looking extremely uncomfortable at the entire situation.

\--

Aryanna allowed the clones to stay for dinner. That evening, everyone sat at the dining table, having ordered food from the nearest takeaway. Rat sat with the laptop on the table, despite Aila’s look of disapproval at such bad table manners.

Rat could only glare back at her. “I’m checking on Katja,” she told Aila bluntly. “I’m sure Aryanna doesn’t mind.”

Aryanna shrugged and shook her head as if to say it was no big deal.

“She OK? Katja?” Leigh asked before stuffing her face with a slice of pizza.

“I am fine,” Katja’s voice told them. “Glad of zee peace and quiet to be perfectly honest. Oh, I spoke to Janika again.”

“Yeah?” Rat asked.

“She is still battling vith zee cat. I zink she spends half her time chasing it.”

“Forget the cat; is she on board or not?” Rat asked.

“Ja, she agreed to give copies of ID and vhatever else,” Katja told her. “I said vee vill contact her about going to visit.”

Rat continued conversing with Katja for a while. Everyone else ate, discussing this and that; things Rat wasn’t particularly interested in. She only looked up in surprise when Leigh opened her mouth to change the subject.

“So, Aryanna,” the hairdresser began, opening her fourth beer of the evening. “How…when did you realise you were gay?” She sounded more curious than anything, although everyone stared at her with wide eyes. Aryanna turned a faint shade of red.

“ _Leigh!_ ” Aila gasped.

“What?” Leigh asked defensively, looking genuinely surprised that everyone thought she had said something inappropriate.

“You can’t just _ask_ people about that!” Aila said, though somehow Leigh thought she looked more amused than anything.

“Why?” Leigh asked, flustered. “I know it’s no big deal. I’m just _curious-_ ”

“You are _unbelievable,_ ” Rat groaned tiredly.

Aryanna, however uncomfortable and embarrassed she looked, couldn’t help but smile in amusement.

“I’m just saying; maybe I can kind of understand it, you know?” Leigh said desperately, feeling uneasy now at all the disbelieving looks on their faces. “Men are…well, I never had much luck with them-”

“A lot of women don’t,” Aila said, laughing now.

“Yeah I _know!_ ” Leigh snapped defensively. She hid her own face now and took another long gulp of beer. “It’s just this whole clone thing, you know? It still amazes me how _different_ we all are…”

Rat simply shook her head and turned her attention back to Katja, who had fallen silent.

“Is she on the beer _again?_ ” she asked.

Rat sighed. “How’d you guess?”

Aryanna grinned before signing something to Rat, who glanced up to interpret what the Italian was saying.

“I don’t know how I knew, really. It just happened that way. Girls are better at kissing, anyway. You should try it sometime _,_ ” Rat said, before smirking in reluctant amusement.

Leigh snorted with laughter and had to cover her mouth to stop beer dribbling out. Rat and Aila stared at her in disgust and amusement. “What makes you think I _haven’t?_ ” Leigh asked, grinning, and earning another disbelieving look from Rat. The hacker seemed to be finding the conversation completely hopeless by this point.

“What the hell?” Aila laughed now.

Leigh set down her beer bottle and took a moment to think. “Only for a laugh! Years ago, I used to go out clubbing with friends, back in college – we were _drunk-_ ”

“Of course,” Rat said, rolling her eyes.

“-but it’s not like I’ve ever found women _attractive,_ ” Leigh continued, trying to sound serious but only causing more laughter around the table. “Oh come on; you’ve never done stupid things for laugh when drunk?”

Aryanna was laughing silently now, and was attempting to sign to Leigh that she was only teasing, but the mute seemed to find the situation too funny to get the message across.

Leigh frowned a bit and turned to Aila. “What about _you?_ ” she dared the doctor with raised eyebrows. “Miss ‘I’m so perfect and sensible’ – I’d _love_ to see what you’re like when _you’re_ drunk.”

Aila grinned. “I don’t think I’m perfect or sensible at all, and I _have_ been drunk before. Just not since meeting you lot. Though for me, it depends on what I’m drinking. Stuff like wine just makes me relax. I hate beer, and stuff like tequila…eeeeh…let's just say there’s a reason I don’t have much of that...” Aila trailed off, dissolving into a fit of giggles.

“Why?” Leigh probed, grinning. “I’m sensing there’s a story behind _that_ one.”

Aila shook her head, a light blush colouring her cheeks as she continued to laugh. “Let’s just say _weird_ things will happen…that may or may not have once involved loud singing and a pole…”

Leigh snorted and burst into laughter at the mental image Aila's statement conjured up. “Oh _wow_ …”

Aryanna continued silently laughing as well, growing more and more amused by the conversation by the minute. Rat just stared around at the three clone. She eventually turned her attention back to Katja, who also seemed lost.

“Are zey _all_ drinking?” the German woman asked.

“Nope, just Leigh,” Rat said.

“What about you, Rat?” Aila asked after recovering from a small laughing fit. Rat simply stared at her as if she had grown another head.

“Rat doesn’t drink,” Leigh answered before the hacker could. “I already tried.”

“I’m guessing that ended badly,” Aila giggled, and Leigh nodded.

“It made her angry.”

“No more than usual then,” Aila teased.

Rat looked severely unimpressed, even when Aryanna signed at her to lighten up.

“I had girlfriend once.”

Everyone froze and fell silent. The comment had come from Katja’s voice on the laptop screen.

“Only once. All other times, it has been boyfriends. But zee girl, she vas very high maintenance. She vould alvays steal my cookies, so it didn’t last.”

A pause followed.

Then, everyone burst into another fit of laughter; Rat included this time. She absently shook her head, wondering how on earth she'd become involved with such an abnormal bunch of people.

\--

Later on in the evening after everyone finished telling stories and laughing, the clones decided to get ready to head back to Switzerland. Aryanna invited them to spend the night, but they’d already purchased their plane tickets, and she understood they weren’t cheap.

The group stood on the doorstep talking as the sun went down, painting the sky in brilliant shades of oranges, reds, and golds. A light breeze picked up as the day drew to a close.

“Thank you for letting us come over, ” Aila said, smiling as she shook Aryanna’s hand. “We’ll be in touch over Skype.”

Aryanna nodded, smiled, and walked out onto the street with the other three clones as Rat and Leigh bickered over something in the background. Aryanna looked over to them...something caught her eye...she glanced up, noticing something catching the light of the setting sun...her face paled, and her eyes grew wide in horror.

Having no way to verbally warn Rat and Leigh to move, the Italian clone darted forward and shoved them both to the ground as a resounding bang echoed through the street. There was a moment of absolute stillness, and then the people nearby on the street screamed and scattered.

“The fuck?!” Leigh gasped.

Her blood ran cold at the sight of Aryanna lying in the street, gasping for breath. Bright red liquid poured out of her chest, staining her shirt and the ground below. Rat looked equally horrified, her eyes locked on the sight as she froze, all coherent thoughts coming to a screeching halt.

Everything became a blur.

All was silent. Leigh could see people running, and rushing, and screaming and crying out, but the words and sounds failed to register in her head. The figures of people crowding the street blurred into one huge mass of colours; the colour red stood out most to the hairdresser as blood slowly grew and travelled along the pavement of the street below…

It was as if time stood still. Leigh was only vaguely aware of someone attempting to pull her out of the way of further potential danger; she was sure it was Rat as the pink-clothed figure of Aila could be seen tending to the nearly unconscious form of Aryanna on the ground. Leigh looked around urgently for a sign of the Italian’s attacker. In her panicked state, she failed to think logically and realise the killer was long gone.

This was not real. It couldn’t be real.

And then, loud sirens sounded through the air, shattering the silence Leigh had fallen into. Someone had phoned for an ambulance. Someone had phoned for police.

“We can’t stay here,” Rat’s muffled voice grew louder as Leigh became more aware of the reality of the situation. “Come on; move, we have to…we have to…”

But the hacker wasn’t sure what they had to do. She was shaking tremendously; both horrified at what had just happened, and scared for what might happen next. Leigh looked around and started to really take in her surroundings as she came back to earth after failing to spot anyone who could be the killer.

The clones were encircled by people who probably lived nearby, all whispering things to each other in Italian. Leigh lowered her gaze from them to Aila, who was now busy pressing her pink hoodie into Aryanna’s chest to combat the bleeding. The doctor’s face was a strange contortion of alarmed and icily calm as she focused.

Leigh's gaze then shifted to Rat, who had since stopped tugging on her arm to instead slump beside her. Rat's eyes wide and horrified at the reality of what had just happened.

“She…she saved us…” Leigh whispered, her voice quivering and hoarse.

Rat didn’t reply, her gaze leaving Leigh’s to focus on Aryanna as the crowd split to allow paramedics access to the now unconscious clone. Aila moved out of their way, her hands and clothes bloody from trying to help Aryanna as best she could. The doctor made her way over to the other two clones.

“Come on…we…we should go to the hospital too…” she murmured quietly.

Leigh and Rat both found that they didn’t have the heart to argue.

\--

Leigh didn’t know how long they’d been sitting out in the waiting room. She couldn’t even begin to really process what was happening around her. The other clones sat on either side of her, both silent as well. Aila had thrown away her hoodie, the bloodstains on it too great to  wash out. She now wore a plain white shirt which was also streaked with blood.

Rat sat with her head down, clutching her bag to her chest tightly. She hadn’t called Katja yet, even though she knew she should. Aryanna had been rushed to surgery the moment they’d arrived, and since then, the trio hadn’t heard a single word about her condition.

Leigh opened her mouth to say something, but struggled. Her throat felt dry and her words were cracked, causing the other clones to look around at her. “H-has anyone contacted her girlfriend? What’s her name…monitor…” she spoke more clearly this time.

Aila looked as though she wanted to respond, but seemed lost for words, while Rat’s eyes grew wider and she cursed under her breath. “Um,” she began, shakily loosening her grip on her bag to search for Aryanna’s file. “Y-yeah…Alessi; her number’s here on Aryanna’s file…”

“Someone should call her,” Leigh breathed, feeling quite numb now the shock of what had happened began to subside.

Rat swallowed hard and held the file out. Her hands were still shaking and she looked as if she couldn’t stand the thought of breaking such news. “Please,” she said to neither Aila nor Leigh. “I can’t.”

Aila twitched nervously as though wanting to help, but Leigh was faster than she was. “I’ll do it,” she assured them both. “I’ll do it…”

Leigh took the file and stood up, managing to keep quite calm. Aila gave her a grateful look and shuffled into the seat Leigh had previously occupied to comfort a very ill-looking Rat. Leigh nodded and began the walk to leave the hospital so she could call Alessi.

The hairdresser took out her mobile phone and searched hastily for Alessi’s number. More paranoid than ever, Leigh dodged back closer to the building out of sight. For all she knew, the killer might have followed them…after what Aryanna had done to protect her, Leigh was taking no chances.

“Alessi?” Leigh managed once she called the number and the woman on the other end picked up. “Is this Alessi?”

“Sì?” the woman’s voice answered. “Who is this?”

“I-It doesn’t matter. Aryanna…A-Aryanna’s been shot…she’s at Ospedale Santo Spirito,” Leigh said, her voice surprisingly firm as she spoke. She heard a sharp gasp on the other end of the line, along with the woman’s voice saying something quickly in Italian. Her voice was fainter than it had been initially, and Leigh guessed she was talking to someone else.

Leigh didn’t wait to speak to the monitor again. She hung up before numbly making her way back into the building, taking the seat on Rat’s other side. The two clones acknowledged Leigh's presence before falling back into silence.

Aila sighed after another twenty minutes. “It’s been almost an hour. We should have heard _something_ by now.”

“Has it?” Leigh mumbled. “Feels like it should have been at least five hours by now.”

Aila glanced around the waiting room just as a door opened from outside, and a tall woman with long, chestnut-brown hair walked in. She wore a black leather coat and faded blue jeans with a tarnished badge on her hip. She looked panicked, but was attempting to control it. Aila’s gaze returned to the floor after a moment, figuring it was rude to stare, but she snapped her head back up as something caught her attention.

“C'è una vittima da arma da fuoco di nome Aryanna Giordano qui?” the woman asked a nurse.

Aila’s eyebrows shot up at the mention of Aryanna’s name. Was that Alessi? The nurse nodded and responded in Italian, before waving over to the three clones huddled together. Alessi looked over and froze as she saw the three, her eyes wide in shock as she looked at their faces. She cautiously approached and took a seat opposite the trio.

“Shit,” Leigh muttered. She wasn't sure what to do now, having not planned on actually meeting the Italian clone’s monitor.

Alessi looked at the three warily. “What happened?”

Leigh and Aila glanced at each other uncertainly, while Rat grit her teeth and said nothing, suddenly taking great interest in the intricate stitching on her bag.

“Um…we…we’re…” Aila started out clumsily, though Alessi held up her hand while shaking her head.

“While it’s…unsettling seeing three faces looking just like hers, and I’m guessing this is the reason for her sudden strange behaviour, it’s not important. Tell me what happened to Aryanna…please,” the CSI said, the fear in her eyes unmistakable at the thought of Aryanna being shot.

Aila and Leigh began to explain together what had happened, both struggling, but both helping each other when the reactions of the woman before them became too much. When they were done, the ringing silence between them became almost unbearable. Alessi seemed to be at a loss for words.

Rat shivered besides Aila suddenly. A new fear had struck her. The police were going to want to talk to them. If that happened, they would see three faces identical to Aryanna, and if word spread; if it was broadcast on the news, DYAD might find them. And what if they linked this to Aila’s supposed murder back in Scotland? What if the doctor was accused of having something to do with this too; what if-

The hacker looked up, snapping herself out of her thoughts when she realised the other three women were on their feet. An exhausted-looking doctor approached them, and he looked very sombre.

It was Rat’s turn to block everything out and spiral into a clouded reality. She did not need to hear the words from the doctor’s mouth to know what he said. She did not need to see the shocked and defeated expressions the others now wore to know what had happened.

Sickened, distraught, and mentally exhausted, the hacker fell from her seat in the waiting room as her surroundings turned to black.


	16. Chapter 15

The flight back to Switzerland was silent and miserable, broken only by the sounds of crying. The three clones had managed to leave the hospital before being questioned by the police, and were now huddled together as they consoled each other.

They hadn’t contacted Katja yet, too emotionally distraught and drained to think clearly. Aila kept a close hold on the briefcase containing the samples, resting her head against it with her eyes closed.

Aryanna was dead. They hadn’t been able to save her, and while the doctor had only known the Italian clone for one day, she felt the loss as much as the others did. She was sad they couldn’t have stayed and given their fallen sister a proper burial, but she understood it couldn’t be helped. It was too dangerous to stick around and talk to the police, for fear of being found by DYAD, or handed over to Scotland Yard.

The doctor heard a choked sob and couldn’t tell if it’d come from Rat or Leigh. She glanced over to see them sitting quietly together, for once comforting one another rather than fighting endlessly over every little thing.

Aila knew both of them had become attached to Aryanna, and were taking this failure hard. The doctor sighed and clutched the briefcase tightly to her chest. An erratic tear fell from her eyes as she wondered if there was more she could have done to save Aryanna.

“We shouldn’t have left her,” Leigh whispered for the tenth time in the space of fifteen minutes. “Alessi…we shouldn’t have left her…”

It was almost unbearable to think of Alessi alone in the hospital after finding out such devastating news, however much Rat and Aila insisted she must have friends and family who would arrive to support her.

“It’s not right though,” Leigh said shakily. She wanted to say more. She wanted to express the guilt, the anger; everything, but a few words were all she could manage.

\--

When they arrived back at the library, the three of them remained silent. Katja came rushing to greet them along with the dogs, all three of them excited and happy to see them for a brief second before their enthusiasm was extinguished.

Katja stayed still and simply observed the others as they dropped their belongings and moved numbly around the room. None of them talked. They barely even greeted her, and somehow Katja knew she didn’t need to ask what had happened.

That didn’t prevent the shock from hitting her at full force though. For the first time since leaving Germany to travel with the clones, Katja felt genuine fear, stronger than ever before. She opened her mouth to tell the others it was all or nothing. Helena had to be stopped at any cost…but words failed her.

Rat looked at Katja, but she couldn’t bring herself to speak and silently made her way up to the third floor of the library instead. She walked into a mostly empty room and sat on her bed, which really was nothing more than two mattresses stacked on top of each other. The hacker sighed and lay down, not even bothering to turn any lights on, or open the windows. She found solace in the dark.

She released a slow, shuttering breath as she felt he emotions welling up again. She allowed herself to cry for what felt like the hundredth time since they’d left Italy. Rat  silently chastised herself for not doing something to actually help the situation.

After what felt like hours, the hacker stood and retrieved her laptop from her bag. She booted it up,  flinching away from the sudden bright light from the screen before her eyes adjusted.

She silently looked through files on Maggie, Lucas, and the Proletheans, hoping to find something useful to give them a direction to go in. DYAD wasn’t going to help, but the clones still had a chance to find the killer themselves.

Rat's Skype flashed orange. She saw Beth trying to contact her. The hacker didn’t particularly feel like conversing with the detective at the minute though, and chose to ignore the window as she turned her attention back to the files.

There wasn’t much to go on in DYAD’s database, so she expanded her search onto the vast depths of the internet, looking for news articles about the Proletheans. If they were a prominent group, somebody _had_ to be talking about them somewhere in the world.

\--

Rat wasn’t the only one doing research.

Leigh’s obsessive habits had taken a new direction. The clones had been home a few days since Aryanna’s death, and none of them had said much since. The silence in the house was becoming too much, and Leigh felt as though she had to do something.

The hairdresser spent most of her time on a laptop; either Katja’s or Rat’s whenever she could get her hands on them, and stayed hidden away in a corner for the most part when she was ‘working’. Leigh had begun searching for news articles, videos, and all kinds of reports from both Italy and England, and what she had discovered was causing her worry.

She knew the police in Italy wanted to talk to her and the others about what had happened, but it still caused her great anxiety to read stories online about ‘missing witnesses’ who needed to be tracked down and questioned. Hospital staff had obviously seen their faces when they came in with Aryanna, so it was only a matter of time before word spread that the four women were identical…Leigh didn’t want to think about what would be said or what would happen should this news reach England.

How long would it be before DYAD found out? It was all becoming far too confusing. Even the most recent reports of the murder of Aila’s monitor, Josh, were still causing concern…DYAD was one thing, but what would happen if regular, ordinary people began linking all of these cases together? Even the other murders of clones around the country?

“Is that even _possible?_ ” Leigh asked herself out loud one evening. “Would DYAD _let_ it get that far, or will they do whatever it takes to cover this up?”

“Who are you talking to?” Katja asked, creeping up behind her.

Leigh froze. “Nobody,” she said quickly. “I’m just…thinking.”

“Zat is your trouble. You zink too much,” Katja told her. She sat down next to Leigh and placed a hand on the laptop. “I am going to need zis back. Vee ought to be thinking about going to Janika sooner rather than later.”

“Yeah…yeah…it’s just…poor Aryanna,” Leigh breathed, hugging her knees. “I can’t get my head around it.”

“Ja,” Katja nodded, frowning. “Vat happened vas not your fault zough.”

Leigh glared at the floor. “We should have been able to do _something_ …”

“Like vat?” Katja asked gently, unfazed by Leigh’s rising temper. “You varned her. Vat more could be done? She chose to stay out in the open even knowing the dangers.”

“I _know,_ but...” Leigh trailed off, shaking her head. She clenched her hands into fists as she hugged her knees tighter.

“Vat happened could not be prevented. Zee only zing vee can do now ez remember her and carry on until zee killer ez caught, ja?”

“I guess,” Leigh sighed pathetically. “Even though these guys are almost impossible to trace. I can’t even find any news articles about them! Helena’s like a friggin' _ghost_! She can move from country to country without a trace, and I have NO idea how to get ahead of her!”

“Vee vill get ahead by making sure Janika and Danielle are safe, ja?” Katja said, taking the laptop back from Leigh. “I vill call crazy bat lady and vee vill go get her samples. Zat ez first step.”

\--

A week later, the clones prepared to leave for Austria. Aila's phone rang while they were packing. She blinked in confusion when she saw it wasn't Janika. Aila didn't recognise the number, but she answered anyway and held the phone up to her ear. “Hello?”

“Ciao. This is Alessi speaking. Is this Aila?”

“Oh! Yeah, sorry,” Aila said, immediately more relaxed.

Even though she knew Alessi was a former monitor, she didn't think the CSI would become a danger to them after losing Aryanna just days before. The doctor bit her lip, wanting to ask how the older woman was holding up, but she felt the question would be tactless after suffering such a devastating loss.

“Thought you guys would wanna know...DYAD have been here. They've shut down all investigation into Ar-” the Italian woman choked on the name a bit before clearing her throat. “I-into the murder.”

Aila's blood ran cold at that. “They _seriously_ did that?! They're not bothered about catching the killer at _all?!_ ” she seethed, clenching a fist slightly. She couldn't help feeling angry that the Italian clone died to save them only to be swept under the rug with the rest of DYAD's dirty secrets.

“Apparently not,” Alessi said, sounding tired and defeated. “I did get hold of something interesting though, before we got shut down. Got an email I can forward it to?”

“Yeah,” Aila said. She told the older woman her email address. By now, the other clones had wandered out to see who Aila was talking to. Aila glanced at them before walking over to Katja's laptop to boot it up.

“These photographs were taken from the sniper's nest on the opposite building. My hands are tied, but hopefully they'll give you guys some kind of idea about what's going on.”

“Yeah,” Aila agreed. “Cheers Alessi...I'll make sure to call you if we ever nail the bitch responsible for this.”

“Thank you,” Alessi told her sincerely before ending the call.

“What's going on?” Leigh asked when Aila put the phone down.

“That was Alessi,” Aila told them. “DYAD's shut down the investigation into Aryanna's murder.”

“Bastards!” Rat hissed, clenching her fists tightly.

“Yeah,” Aila muttered, angry about it as well. “She sent us some photographs she got before they got shut down though. She said they were from Helena's sniper's nest, and that they might give us some kinda clue about what's going on...”

The doctor opened up her email and found the files Alessi had sent her. There were several photographs. Aila opened the first one and froze as her blood ran cold again.

Displayed in the photo was a Barbie doll with short, orange hair, burned up in places. The doll's most defining feature was a makeshift silk scarf wrapped around its neck and shoulders. Between the hair, the outfit, and the scarf, it looked just like Leigh.

The doll was sitting on what looked like a bible which had been marked in various places with black ink. The word ' _TRUTH_ ' was written across the page.

Leigh took one look at the photograph and gasped in horror. The hairdresser jumped from chair and backed away from the computer, nearly tripping over herself in her haste to get away, making everybody watch her with wide eyes.

“Jesus shitting Christ; get rid of it!” Leigh shrieked over her shoulder. She bolted to the window and stared out, almost pressing herself up against it out of panic. While Rat and Katja frowned at Leigh in confusion, Aila turned her attention back to the disturbing photo.

A subtle frown grew on the doctor's face. A memory came back to her. “There was a doll before,” she murmured just loud enough for Katja to hear.

“Vat?”

“A doll,” Aila said again. She whipped around to watch Katja. “When...when Leigh and I  left Scotland – just before, rather-”

“ _Shit,_ ” Leigh breathed from the window.

It occurred to her the doll she'd thrown from Aila's car that night was supposed to represent the doctor, just as this new one resembled Leigh. Leigh failed to hold back a strangled sob and slumped to her knees.

Aila seemed to have realised this as well. She made her way over to the window to lightly put her hand on Leigh's shoulder. “It wasn't your fault. You couldn't have known.”

“Someone gonna fill us in on what's going on?” Rat asked as she looked at the two. Katja sat down in front of the laptop and scrolled through the photos of the doll and the bible.

“Just before Helena opened fire on me - literally like two seconds before I was almost shot - I found a doll just like that in my bedroom, covered in blood,” Aila explained. “There wasn't a bible with mine, but I think the doll was meant to be me...it's like Helena makes these dolls of whoever her next target is for some bizarre reason."

Leigh shook her head, still sobbing. “Aryanna wasn't meant to die...i-it was supposed to be me...she...s-she just got in the way...” she whimpered, closing her eyes tightly.

Rat's eyes softened slightly, though she had no idea what to say to make Leigh feel  better. Aila was right. Leigh couldn't have known that Helena picked her next, though Rat understood they needed to be more careful than ever now. Who was to say Helena wasn't still tracking Leigh? What if this unknowingly led the Proletheans to the the rest of the clones, or even Janika?

Katja looked over to Leigh. “Vee must be careful ven meeting Janika,” she said quietly.

Leigh nodded. She turned from the window and stood up, but shrunk back again to see the laptop screen. Katja was still examining the pictures of the doll. “Will you delete those fucking pictures, please!” Leigh wailed now, causing Katja to look around in alarm. “Or at least get them off screen – God-”

The hairdresser excused herself and fled the room before anyone could respond.

\--

Leigh remained in another room by herself for the majority of the day, until she decided she was hungry enough to venture out in search of food. Despite her shock and low mood, she'd managed to sleep for a few hours after calming herself down.

Katja was the only one about. She was sitting in front of her laptop, though she didn't seem to be paying attention. Leigh kept her gaze on the German as she approached. Katja had her knees tucked up to her chest, and she was staring into space.

“Hey,” Leigh greeted her.

Katja glanced in Leigh's direction. “Hallo,” she grunted. “Better now?”

Leigh shrugged. She wandered towards the kitchen area, but then stopped, instead backtracking towards Katja. “I shouldn't have snapped like that earlier. Sorry.”

“Aila said the doll bothered you before also,” Katja stated bluntly. “Not just your doll, I mean. Hers too.”

“Dolls weird me out,” Leigh told her. “A lot.”

“And you are gutted about Aryanna,” Katja added.

“Yeah. We all are,” Leigh murmured.

“Ja.” Katja beckoned Leigh to join her on the sofa.

Leigh quietly sat down, feeling and looking tense. “They just...it's an irrational fear, I guess. I know how daft it is. I've found them weird since I was small. I never liked playing with them or being around them.”

Katja nodded. “I had many vhen I vas small, but zey vere more for collection. I never played vith zem much. I didn't vant to damage zem.”

“I blame Leekie...” Leigh muttered, hugging her knees to her chest. “As part of the experiment, he had this room at DYAD for me and Rachel to stay in overnight as kids. It was massive and full of all sorts of toys and dolls, but the dolls...man...I swear to God they were possessed or something. They always seemed to change location randomly, and their eyes and heads moved by themselves...thinking about it now, I wouldn't be surprised if they had cameras or some shit in their eyes, but as a kid, they just proper scared me. Leekie and Rachel always told me I was being daft, but...” she trailed off and shuddered.

Katja nodded in understanding. “Zat sounds creepy,” she agreed. “Vhy did zey vant you both in zis room? Vat vas zee point?”

“I have no idea, honestly,” Leigh muttered, absently tugging at her hair. “We only went there a few times a year until we were around nine or ten...I think they wanted to see how we interacted together or something, but it was _weird._ They used to just _watch_ us from behind this huge window...thing. We couldn't see them, but they could see us...Rachel used to make tents and things to hide from them, but I'm pretty sure they could still see us anyway. _Proper_ freaked me out every time. I became paranoid of dolls and things because of that. Used to have really horrific nightmares about the dolls coming alive and trying to kill me or something. For a long time, I refused to sleep anywhere if there was a  doll around. I'd try to stay awake all night, even though that failed a lot of the time.”

Katja frowned, lightly putting an arm around Leigh in comfort. The hairdresser sighed and returned the hug. She attempted to pull her thoughts away from the playroom.

“I shouldn't go to Austria,” she muttered after a moment. “I don't want to lead Helena to Janika.”

“You already have your ticket for tomorrow afternoon,” Katja pointed out.

“Yeah but...” Leigh trained off.

“Vat, are you just going to be staying inside here all zee time now?” Katja asked, her voice gentle, but firm. “You have come zis far. Are you going to let zis Helena stop you now and make you hide away forever? Leigh, she could target _any_ of us, _wherever_ ve go. It is not just you. You are not responsible.”

Leigh nodded. Katja's explanation made sense. Even if she stayed behind, the rest of them could still potentially lead Helena to Janika, and maybe even Danielle later on. In any case, the thought of being left behind was daunting. Leigh would rather travel and be productive than sit in the library to let her thoughts consume her. 

\--

However tired they were at having to travel so much, Aila and Leigh, along with Katja, ventured back to Austria the following day to meet up with Janika. Rat opted to stay behind this time. She told them she would busy herself with learning as much as she could about the Proletheans. She wanted to keep in touch with Beth to find out the latest on the clone situation in the US as well, and to update the detective on their own situation too.

Leigh had been reluctant to go, for more reasons than one. For starters, she didn’t like the idea of leaving Rat alone. With everything going on, she would have preferred the clones to stay in twos, at least. When the hairdresser hinted at this though, nobody seemed to pay much mind. Apparently, they felt certain Rat’s hideout was as safe as could be.

Another reason was that she wasn’t sure she had the energy to deal with Janika. The Austrian had left quite an impression on them all, and Leigh could only groan inwardly at the thought of having to put up with the strange woman’s antics once they arrived. She did not voice any of this out loud, though. It would be very selfish to complain about anything after the sacrifice Aryanna made.

“One thing’s for sure,” she told Aila and Katja as the eccentric house came into view in the distance. “I don’t think we should leave without Janika this time. Not after Aryanna. We should at least convince her to go into hiding…right?”

“And have her give up on living her life?” Katja asked.

“ _We_ did,” Aila said, shivering a bit at the cold air.

“Ja, but this vas our choice,” Katja reminded her.

Aila stared. She hadn’t exactly had a choice at all. Everything had happened far too quickly for her to decide she wanted to stay…running had been her only option.

“I just don’t want anyone else to get hurt,” Leigh mumbled.

“I know,” Aila said. “We can suggest it, but in the end it’s her choice…unless something happens and she has to run.”

Leigh frowned, realising then that even though Aila had gone along with everything that happened and somehow managed to stay positive for the most part, being forced from her home and made to leave her life behind really _hadn’t_ been her choice at all.

“Aila…” Leigh said, but the doctor shook her head, holding up a hand to stop her.

“It’s alright, really,” she said quickly. “I don’t regret what happened. I’m still alive because of it, right?”

Leigh nodded and said nothing more as they approached Janika’s house. The place was still as creepy as it had been the first time.

Just as the clones reached the door, the sounds of yelling could be heard from inside, followed by crashes. A small cat came flying out of the window, followed by a very angry Janika holding a broom.

“AND STAY OUT, YA SODDIN' FLEABAG!” the Austrian clone screeched, waving the broom around.

“Who wants to go in first?” Aila asked after a moment or two of stunned silence. She looked to Leigh, who hesitated, and then to Katja, who simply shrugged and marched on towards the house, bold as ever.

“Janika, vee are here,” Katja called as she rapidly knocked on the door. “Stop killing kitties and let us in.”

All was quiet for a moment or two apart from the muffled sounds of shuffling feet and opening doors inside the house. Then, the front door swung open, and there stood Janika, wide-eyed, holding a very scared and wriggling creature in one fist, and a broom in the other.

Everyone stared at her.

“I am not _killing kitties,_ ” she corrected Katja after a very short staring contest. “But if it comes near my batty again, I’ll knock its bleedin’ head off with me broom, I will!”

“Your bat looks scared,” Katja pointed out. She gestured to Janika’s hand where the animal was still squirming and fidgeting. Janika’s expression softened as she put the broom down and tried to soothe the animal with gentle pets and comforting murmurs. “Perhaps you should try closing your vindows.”

Janika’s eyes became even wider, if possible. She stared at Katja as if she had said the most ridiculous thing in the world. “I can’t do that! I need to let the flies in so it’s easier to catch ‘em!”

“What the _fuck_ are we doing here again?” Leigh murmured, feeling defeated already. “Aila…I wanna go home.”

“Oh shush,” Aila reprimanded her gently. She hurried over to join Katja. “Janika, can we come in? We need to update you on a few things.”

Janika turned and walked back into her house, talking quietly to her bat as she did, though she left the door open behind her. Katja walked into the brightly decorated house calmly, looking around. Nothing much had changed since the last time they were there, though some of the decorations were scattered from Janika’s most recent fight with the cat.

The blue-haired clone flopped down on her sofa, still petting and cooing and nuzzling her bat. “Ssshh Luca, mummy’s here,” she said, seemingly oblivious to the world around her.

Katja watched them for a moment. “Vhy do you have bat? I zought zat owning bats vas illegal in most places,” she inquired.

“It is,” Janika confirmed with a bob of her head.“'Cept when the little fells can’t fend for themselves. See this wing here?” She gently stretched out the bat's wings, and the other clones could see one was noticeably deformed. “Was born with that, he was! Can’t fly, an’ if he can’t fly, he can’t eat. Gotta look after the little fella so he don’t starve!” she said with a firm nod.

“I see,” Katja nodded, watching as the Austrian clone put Luca back in his cage. She turned her attention back to the three clones with a sudden clap of her hands. “So! What can I do ya for? Say ya got somethin’ ta tell me?”

Katja and Aila nodded and began telling the Austrian clone everything they’d found out in the last few weeks, as well as reluctantly telling her about Aryanna’s heroic death and how the killer may very well come to Austria next.

Janika frowned, taking it all in as she seemed to lose her natural erratic behaviour. “So this killer person's really comin’ after me then? I ain't gonna see it comin’ or have time to run off ‘less I do it now? Ain’t got nowhere to go though! Luca an’ Sel…they’re all I got. And me business too! I ain’t just gonna up and leave…” she said, half mumbling to herself.

“You don’t have to,” Aila said. “It’s entirely your choice. Today we’re just here about the blood, hair, and paperwork we discussed. Take time to think about it and decide for yourself what you want to do.”

“You could come into hiding with us,” Leigh said with a shrug. The words escaped her mouth before she could stop herself. Truthfully, she thought living with someone as eccentric as Janika would be an entirely exasperating experience, but the hairdresser felt uneasy at the idea of leaving her behind.

“Come into hiding?” Janika repeated as she stared. “No; like I said, I got a business to keep running.”

“But it’d only be temporary until Helena’s caught,” Leigh tried to reason, but Janika shook her head stubbornly.

“And how long do ya think that’s gonna take, honestly? Just think how long you lot have been on the run already. You still ain’t _found_ nothing on her; you have no clue where she is, and you couldn’t stop her from killin’ Aryanna,” she shot, rolling her eyes.

“Yeah, all the more reason to get the hell out of this place!” Leigh raised her voice now. She felt a little stung by Janika’s words.

“It’s not your choice, Leigh,” Katja reminded her. Aila nodded in agreement, though she seemed torn about the entire situation.

“Fine,” Leigh grumbled. She made her way to leave the house, needing a few minutes to herself. Then, under her breath so nobody heard her, she added, “stay and get your brains blown out then.”

Leigh left the house while Aila took Janika’s samples and simply hovered about on the front lawn for a while. Trying to distract herself from her renewed guilt over Aryanna, Leigh spent a few minutes looking around at the unusual objects and decorations surrounding the building, genuinely intrigued by them.

Something white caught her attention out the corner of her eye. It was small, and it was inching its way back up to the house. Leigh turned to view the creature properly and smirked a bit to see it was the cat Janika had been battling with.

Upon closer inspection, it was apparent the cat had black and ginger patches on its white body and head, and it was very small indeed. Leigh thought it must be a very young cat; possibly not full grown yet.

The cat stopped underneath the window sill and simply stared up as if deciding to jump onto the ledge or not. It waved its tail in agitation and didn’t appear to notice Leigh carefully approaching it from behind to get a better look.

The cat suddenly looked over at Leigh with wide eyes, freezing as it stared at her. Its eyes were a beautiful shade of light blue, and Leigh wondered if that was its real eye colour or if its eyes simply hadn’t turned yet.

Leigh stopped moving and stood completely still as the cat looked at her, before letting out a small meow and darting off into the tall grass. Leigh frowned and sighed, moving to sit on the steps in front of the front door.

She looked up at the clouds, retreating into her own thoughts again. She figured she should probably apologise for going off on Janika like that, but she just didn’t want to see anyone else get killed by Helena. Janika _was_ right though. They had no way of telling how long this would be going on for. Was she really going to expect the other clones to give up their lives for what could easily be months, or even years?

“This sucks,” she muttered, absently playing with a shoelace that had come loose.

Suddenly, she heard a sound, and glanced up to see the cat watching her intently from the tall grass. Its eyes were fixed on the shoelace, and Leigh grinned, trying to tempt the animal closer by moving the lace back and forth in the dirt.

As it played, Leigh could see the cat was not only small, but rather skinny. It looked as though it hadn’t eaten properly for a while, so Leigh wondered if it was a stray. Had it had much contact with humans? It didn’t seem particularly scared…

The cat struck out suddenly, patting the dirt on the ground as it aimed for the lace, but repeatedly missed. As it became more confident and began purring, Leigh dared to attempt stroking the cat’s head. It paused for a second and then pulled away, as if unsure, but continued to play. Soon enough, Leigh let go of the lace and watched the cat play with it by itself.

And then a loud shrieking sound filled the air behind Leigh, and the small cat scampered. Its fur stood on end and its tail became bushy as Janika raced out of the house and chased it up the path, leaving a stunned Leigh sitting there alone.

“THAT’S RIGHT, YOU BETTER RUN!” Janika bellowed. Aila and Katja appeared at the door of the house, and Leigh stood up quickly.

“Hey, she wasn’t doing any harm!” she told Janika sternly.

“I don’t want that fleabag on my property!” Janika insisted. “I swear I’ll-”

“She’s just hungry!” Leigh interrupted. She rushed up the path to try and find the small feline. “Look how skinny she is! I don’t think she means to stalk your bat; I just think she’s a bit desperate-”

“Not my problem though, is it?” Janika shrieked madly. “It better stay away!”

Leigh glared at the Austrian woman sharply, but before she could say anything, Aila stepped between the two and looked at Leigh. “We’re done with everything here. Janika’s decided to stay put for now, so we should head back to the airport,” she told her, silently hoping Leigh would let it go. It had been a hard week, and the last thing anyone needed was another pointless argument.

Leigh’s sharp glare shifted from Janika to Aila, though the doctor simply stared back at her evenly. Leigh muttered something crossly and whipped around, shoving her hands in her pockets as she left, not waiting for Aila and Katja to finish talking to Janika.

As she rounded the corner to walk back down the hill, she noticed the cat peeking out from under a bush, mewing pathetically as she stared up at Leigh with wide eyes. Leigh noticed what looked like the remains of a much larger cat under the bush as well. She felt a stab through her heart to see the body.

“Aw…that was your mummy? Poor thing…” she said, feeling herself becoming emotional over the cat’s predicament. Kneeling down to pet the young cat again, she sighed. “Guess we’ve both lost people we cared about, huh?”

The cat just gave another pitiful mew as she looked up at Leigh.

\--

“Alright, if we catch the nine-thirty flight, we should be back at Rat’s place by midnight. Not really ideal since she said the streets aren’t safe at night, but what choice do we have?” Aila mused, looking at flight times on her phone as the clones made their way down the hill towards the bus stop.

“Ja, vee must be careful,” Katja nodded. “Or get hotel till morning.”

Aila nodded, glancing over at Leigh. The hairdresser was walking awkwardly, holding her bag close to her chest. “What do you think, Leigh?”

No response.

Aila raised an eyebrow. “Leigh? OI, Space-Cadet!”

Leigh seemed to realise she was being spoken to then, and her eyes widened in surprise. “WHAT? I didn’t do anything!” she said, having no idea what was being discussed.

Aila raised an eyebrow. “I never said you did,” she said, baffled.

“Vhat did you do?” Katja asked flatly, staring at Leigh.

“Nothing!” Leigh insisted, though the look on her face said otherwise.

A new sound came screeching through the air, and Aila’s eyebrows shot up. “Did your bag just…meow?” she trailed off, before her hand came into contact with her forehead sharply with a loud groan. “PLEASE tell me I’m just hearing things and your bag DIDN’T just meow…”

“It did,” Katja confirmed with a nod of her head. The German woman walked over and seized the bag from Leigh, ignoring her protests. She unzipped the bag, and suddenly, a furry white head popped out, looking around wildly.

“ _LEIGH!_ ” Aila groaned in exasperation, still face-palming.

A pause followed. Leigh stared at the other clones with a straight face, looking completely unashamed. “I didn’t _intend_ to come to Austria and kidnap a cat,” she offered, shrugging. “I couldn’t just leave her with _Janika!_ She would have killed the poor thing! Look how skinny she is! I was gonna tell you guys when we got to the bus stop, honest! We have enough time; let's just drop her off at a shelter on the way to the airport. When do we have to be at the airport, exactly?"

Aila checked her phone again. “We have to be at the airport no later than two hours from now to get checked in and everything,” she told Leigh, before glancing at Katja. “I assume most websites for this sort of thing will be in German. Do you mind?”

“On it,” Katja answered as she took out her own phone and looked through websites to locate a shelter.

“Cheers, guys,” Leigh told them. She petted the kitten as she squirmed around in the bag.

“Found one,” Katja said after a minute. “It is twenty minutes from here by bus, and then forty from there to airport by taxi. If vee hurry, vee vill have more than enough time to drop off kitty.”

Leigh smiled with relief and nodded. “Great! Let's go.”

The journey to the shelter was largely made in silence. When they arrived, Katja explained the situation to the staff member in German, and they agreed to take the kitten and put her up for adoption after checking her over.

Aila glanced at Leigh as they left the shelter and smiled. The English clone seemed rather pleased with herself after completing her good deed for the day.

When she sensed she was being watched, Leigh glanced over and raised an eyebrow at Aila. “What?” she asked.

Aila smirked slightly. “Nothing really, it's just...nice to see ya smiling again.” After losing Aryanna the week before, it was a relief to know that even with the threats surrounding them all, life did indeed go on.

Leigh grinned. “Come on. Let's get to the airport before we're late.”


	17. Chapter 16

Aila leaned against the window with one leg crossed over the other as she watched the clouds outside. The plane was smooth, but the seats weren’t at all comfortable. The doctor glanced over at Leigh in the seat next to her. She was sitting rather stiffly with her arms folded and her head bowed down, apparently lost in thought. Katja was asleep in another seat, snoring lightly. Aila just had to shake her head at her; that woman could sleep anywhere. How she was comfy like that was beyond the doctor.

Aila shivered and rubbed her arms as a cool breeze blew through a crack in the window. “I need to buy a new hoody,” she muttered to herself.

Leigh pulled herself from her thoughts and looked up sharply. “ _Please_ not another pink one,” she teased.

Aila smirked. “You shush. Pink is epic.”

“It’s bleedin' _not,_ ” Leigh grinned. “I'm sure we can find one in a shop at the airport somewhere when we land...”

“Aye,” Aila said with a yawn. “Don't fancy looking for shops near Rat's place...”

“Mhm,” Leigh agreed.

They sat quietly for the rest of the journey, their thoughts only interrupted every so often by Katja's snores. It took them a few moments to wake Katja once the plane landed. The German rose from her seat shakily, still tired, and made her way to leave the plane without a word to the other two.

Aila glanced at Leigh. “Is it just me, or is she paler than usual?” she asked.

“I'm not surprised. I don't think she should be travelling like this when she's sick,” Leigh muttered. “She needs to rest.”

“The sooner we get these samples to Beth's friend, the better,” Aila sighed.

They stopped briefly so Aila could purchase a new hoody (another pink one, much to Leigh's disgust), and left in a hurry. All three were eager to get back to Rat's place.

The trio took a taxi from the airport to the street of the library. The driver said nothing, but made an odd face when told where they wanted to go. Still, he nodded and drove off once everyone was inside.

Aila looked out the windows as they passed by buildings and streetlights, taking the time to think about what their next move should be. The doctor glanced over at the sound of a snore and could only giggle at the sight of Katja slumped against Leigh, spark out once more.

“Katja, get off me,” the hairdresser grunted, though she had little success shifting the other clone and could only look at Aila helplessly. “Oi, quit giggling and help me!”

Aila smirked and helped pull Katja up to a sitting position, though the German clone remained asleep, occasionally snoring quietly. “Honestly, _how_ does she do it?” Aila sighed. “Wish _I_ could bleedin' sleep that soundly.”

When the taxi pulled up just before a street sign, the words illuminated by the car's headlights, Leigh blinked and looked around out the window. This area, while dark, didn't look anything like Rat's library. Where were they?

“Oi, what gives? This isn't Clairaut Street,” she told the driver. The street sign on the corner told them they were between Briot Road and Alembert Street.

The driver shook his head. “No farther. You want to go in _this_ area, you walk now.”

Aila's mouth gaped open in stunned shock. “ _What!?_ You can't seriously expect us to walk. We don't even know how to get to where we need to go from here!” she shrieked, making Katja jolt awake and look around with wide eyes.

“Your problem, not mine,” the driver grunted. “Pay up and get out.”

“Sod you! You aren't getting crap since you didn't do your job!” Leigh growled, opening the door and getting out quickly. The other two clones followed suit.

The driver shouted something at them in French, but didn't stick around to collect his payment, instead turning the car around and speeding off towards the center of the city.

The three found themselves surrounded by silence as the wind picked up, the icy chill of the crisp midnight air making them shiver.

“Great! Now what the bloody hell do we do?” Leigh groaned, looking around the dark street.

“Vee call Ratty for help?” Katja offered sleepily with a shrug.

“Yeah, might be a good idea. We can't navigate around here by ourselves; we'll just get lost, or run into trouble. She did say this place is really dangerous at night,” Aila agreed, crossing her arms for warmth.

Leigh grumbled at the idea of asking Rat for help with anything, but she knew the others were right. This wasn't the type of situation where she could let her feelings towards the Swiss clone cloud her judgment.

Taking out her pink clone phone, the hairdresser called and waited as the phone rang.

“What happened?” Rat asked when she answered, not even bothering with a greeting.

“Hello to you too,” Leigh sighed. “Look, we need directions. How do we get to your place from...” she paused to reread the street sign. “The corner of Briot and Alembert?”

“What? What the hell are you lot doing over there?!” Rat demanded.

“It's not our fault! The taxi driver was being a dick and wouldn't take us any farther than that! Can you get us back to your place or not?” Leigh asked, somehow keeping her voice steady as she looked around uncertainly.

Rat was silent for a moment, before sighing. “It'll be hard to navigate in the dark if you don't know where you're going. I'll come to you instead. Stay right around that area and try to stay out of sight. Don't talk to anyone. I mean it, these people are dangerous. Be there soon.”

The line went dead. Leigh pressed a button on her phone and stuffed it in her pocket.

“Well?” Aila asked with a shiver.

“She said stay put. She's coming to meet us,” Leigh explained. “Though if it's as dangerous as she says it is, I hope she's careful.”

Katja smirked a little, earning a fierce glare from the hairdresser.

“What?” Leigh snapped.

“You and Rat,” Katja grinned. “You _do_ care.”

Leigh tutted and rolled her eyes. She wasn't in the mood to argue.

The trio hovered around for a while, each of them edgy at the smallest sounds around them. It wasn't long before Aila began pacing to warm herself up, and Katja trembled, pulling her coat tightly around her.

Leigh watched her and sighed. “Here,” she told Katja. She pulled off her own coat and attempted to drape it over Katja, who took a step back.

“Vat?” Katja asked with a frown.

“You're freezing,” Leigh told.

“It's fine-”

“You're freezing and you're sick, and there's no point pretending you're not,” Leigh snapped. “You need to keep warm.”

Katja said nothing as she accepted the coat. She glanced at Leigh. “Zanks,” she muttered.

Leigh joined Aila with the pacing after that, moving quickly and constantly to ignore the biting cold. After a while, sounds could be heard approaching them. The clones huddled together and looked around. To their relief, a familiar canine trotted into view, followed by the figure of a person.

“Rat,” Katja managed. She stepped away from the other clones to greet her sister.

As usual, Rat wore a blank or unimpressed expression. “Let's get going,” she told the group sternly without saying hello. “We're not hanging around here.”

The three clones nodded and followed Rat as she turned on the spot and walked back the way she came, holding onto Charles's leash tightly. She kept her other hand in the pocket of her long black coat.

They passed several buildings and found another street before Charles suddenly stopped to growl and bark at a darkened alleyway a few feet in front of the group.

Before anyone could say anything, two tall, young men stepped out of the shadows, both looking no older than sixteen. They were both very thin and sickly looking, but sported cocky grins and dark looks in their eyes as they approached the group. Rat took a step back, but stayed in front of the other three, as she watched their movements carefully.

“Eh bien, ce qui est un groupe de belles jeunes femmes faire ici si tard?” one of them asked smoothly. _(“Well, what is a group of beautiful young women doing here so late?”)_

“Ne pas insister,” Rat answered him, and though the others couldn't understand, they could hear the tone of warning in her voice. _(“Back off.”)_

“Bien que est pas très gentil!” the other young man remarked. “Nous ne voulions dire bonjour. Vous filles regard perdu...” _(“That's not very nice!” “We only wanted to say hello. You girls look lost...”)_

“Nous ne sommes pas, donc chier,” Rat said evenly, hoping they'd leave though she knew better than to really expect that. _(“We're not, so piss off.”)_

The taller of the two men glared at her then, his expression turning almost feral. “Vous êtes très impoli. Nous ne voulons pas que les gens d'être rude sur notre territoire...” he muttered threateningly, taking a switchblade out of his pocket. _(“You're very rude. We don't take kindly to people being rude to us on our turf.”)_

His friend did the same, looking rather happy at the thought of getting into a fight. Charles began growling and barking again, tugging on his leash slightly, though Rat held him steady. Her eyes darted between the men as she took another small step back.

When the men advanced again, Rat whipped her other hand out of her pocket, revealing a large silver revolver. She heard one of the other clones gasp in surprise, though she kept her eyes on the threatening men, who seemed to falter at the sight of the weapon.

The taller of the two regained his composure then and laughed. “Princesse essayer bon. Je parie que cette chose est même pas réel!” _(“Nice try, princess. I bet that thing isn't even real!”)_

Rat stared at him for a moment. “Voulez-vous vraiment savoir?” _(“Do you really want to find out?”)_

“Mec peut-être que nous devrions aller, cette nana est fou!” the shorter man whispered, looking much more afraid than his companion. _(“Dude maybe we should go, this chick is crazy!”)_

“Taisez-vous, vous êtes vraiment peur de cette petite chose?” the taller man growled down at him. _(“Shut up, you're really afraid of this tiny thing?”)_

Rat looked between the two as they argued with each other, silently weighing her options. She and the other clones could try running, but she knew Katja wasn't in any condition for such movement. On the other hand, she could injure one or both of the men, but the shot might attract more unwanted attention.

“Merde…” she muttered quietly, not sure what to do to keep herself and the other clones safe until they could get back to the library.

Leigh, who was tired, irritable and in no mood for this, turned on her heel and walked away briskly.

“Leigh? _Leigh?_ ” Aila called after her anxiously as the men began yelling in French.

“Oh please; what are they gonna do?” Leigh snapped.

She stopped abruptly when the taller of the two men caught up to her and blocked her path. Rat aimed her weapon at him, but she was hesitant to do anything out of fear of attracting attention.

“Move,” Leigh warned the man with clenched fists.

The man laughed at her. He urged his friend to surround the women, and Rat held the revolver steadily. Aila pulled Katja back so they stood behind Rat, and both men laughed again.

“ _Move_ ,” Leigh repeated.

The men exchanged conversation in French; nobody but Rat understood what they were saying, and suddenly, the leader of the two grabbed Leigh by the shoulder to push her back. Leigh instinctively stepped forward and shoved him hard, causing him to stumble back a bit.

“Leigh, get back here!” Rat hissed as the men charged towards them.

Aila pulled Katja even further away; the shorter man lunged at Rat, and she smacked him in the face with the weapon in response. The man cried out angrily and stepped back from them, while his friend aimed a swift punch at the hacker.

Leigh jumped forward again and grabbed the man's arm with both hands, making him miss Rat by inches. The man shook Leigh off and seized her, but she kneed him in the stomach, winding him. “Get going!” she shouted at Aila and Katja, but neither of them seemed to want to move.

Charles barked aggressively at the shorter man, who composed himself, covering his now bleeding eyebrow with his hand. The dog blocked his path so he couldn't reach the women, snarling and growling.

Rat hurried over to Leigh, still pointing the weapon at the men, waiting, daring them to try anything else. When the taller of the two released a cry of rage and lunged at them, the hacker raised the revolver and fired, the deafening bang echoing through the streets. The man fell to the ground, holding his arm as blood seeped through his shirt. The other man froze at the sight, and then decided he'd had enough and fled into the alleyway.

“Everyone, move, _now!_ ” Rat ordered, ignoring the man's cries of pain. She made sure everyone else was following before sprinting down the sidewalk, mindful to keep an eye on Katja as she did.

The German woman's breathing was shallow and labored, but she didn't dare slow down. Nobody stopped running until they crossed two more streets and arrived back at the library. When the group slowed their pace, Katja gasped for breath and coughed violently into her hand. Aila frowned and rubbed Katja's back soothingly as Rat unlocked the door that led down into the basement. Katja offered the doctor a small smile and nod of thanks when the fit subsided.

The hacker released a shaky breath before walking down the short set of stairs, the adrenalin from the ordeal wearing off quickly. She was glad it _was_ only a pair of kids they'd encountered rather than the more vicious, older members of the gangs.

When the clones made it back up to the third floor of the library, Leigh made a beeline for the small sofa she'd claimed as her bed to flop down. She'd been silent the whole way back, and didn't seem overly interested in talking, even now.

Rat discarded her coat and made her way to the kitchen to put the kettle on, figuring everyone could use a hot drink after being out in the icy air. Aila had Katja sit on one of the other sofas before retrieving her medical kit.

“No need for zat, I am fi-” Katja started, though she was quickly silenced by a fierce glare from the doctor.

“ _Stop_ saying you're fine when you clearly aren't,” she snapped firmly. “Now let me have a listen.”

Katja sighed and grumbled something in German, but she allowed Aila to check over her breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure, as well as a few other things. The whole room seemed deathly silent for several minutes, until Rat reemerged from the kitchen holding three mugs; two of coffee, and one of tea.

She handed the coffees to Katja and Aila, who both took the drinks gratefully, before walking over to the sofa where Leigh was lying.

“Leigh?”

“Hm?”

“Tea?”

“Cheers...” Leigh said, taking the mug. She allowed the warmth to seep into her hands for a moment, as if only then realising how cold she actually was. She took a small sip of the drink, pleased to find the other clone had added sugar this time. Rat nodded and walked back towards the kitchen to fix her own drink.

“Fuck,” Leigh blurted out when Rat came back with her drink. “I know you said it's not safe out at night, but bloody hell...”

Rat shrugged and sat next to Leigh. They both watched Aila and Katja for a few moments. “Yeah, and that was nothing compared to some of the stuff that kicks off around here,” Rat spoke quietly. “Though to be honest, that's why I chose to live here. DYAD aren't about to come charging into this place, and there's virtually no surveillance of this area. Criminals like to go where the cameras don't.”

“You were pretty impressive with that revolver,” Leigh said, grinning a little. “Damn scary though.”

“Yeah well, we best lie low for a while,” Rat said, shrugging again. She took a long sip of her drink, and Leigh did the same. “Don't know how much more drama I can take. Not sure how much Katja can, either. She looks done in.”

Leigh nodded. “I was saying to Aila on the way back that Katja needs to rest. Have you heard from Beth?”

“No,” Rat said, shaking her head. “I was gonna ask you the same.”

Leigh opened her mouth to respond, but Aila and Katja got up and shuffled over, collapsing into chairs closer to them.

“Do we ever get a friggin' break?” Aila asked with a yawn. “It's one thing after another...”

“Well like I just told Leigh, we should stay indoors for a few days,” Rat said. “You OK Katja?”

“Ja,” Katja said quietly. She looked ready to doze off again.

A pause followed.

“How'd things go with Janika?” Rat asked after a while.

“Mental as ever,” Leigh grumbled, and Katja grinned.

“Leigh kidnapped zee beast kitty,” she informed Rat.

Rat stared. “I'm sorry; _what?_ ”

Leigh sighed and shrugged her shoulders.

“Oh she meant well,” Aila spoke before Leigh could. “Janika was ready to kill the poor thing.” She proceeded to explain the situation with the cat, and Rat rolled her eyes in response. “We got Janika's samples, but she's refusing to budge,” Aila changed the subject. She finished her coffee and put the cup on the floor by her feet. “I guess our next task is speaking to Beth again.”

“And finding Danielle,” Katja added.

“Yeah well, that's gonna have to wait until tomorrow,” Rat yawned. She stood up and urged Katja to do the same. “Come on. Bed, now.”

Katja obeyed without arguing. She and Rat disappeared, and Leigh curled herself into a ball on the sofa, hugging her knees. Aila hesitated for a bit. She stared at her empty cup in silence, wondering how any of them were meant to get a decent night's sleep.

\--

Over the following few days, the group kept themselves inside and away from the windows, even though they were on the third floor. There had been a noticeable increase in gang activity every night, and Rat hypothesized that they were trying to find out who exactly shot one of their members.

Instead of dwelling on it though, the clones began looking into Danielle's life, trying to find out how to possibly approach her. The ice skater moved around quite a lot while she was on tour, and she'd be travelling for another few months by the looks of it. It would be hard for Helena to pinpoint her location and get close to her, so the others weren't overly concerned for her safety for the time being.

As the weekend set in, Leigh lay on the sofa reading a book. A shadow cut through the bright sunlight above her suddenly, and she glanced up in time to see Rat. Before Leigh could speak, something soft landed on her stomach with a crinkling sound.

“What the bleedin' hell?” she asked, confused. Her expression became even more puzzled as she lifted up the foreign item to discover it was a store-bought chocolate cupcake. “Uh...thanks?” she said to the hacker. She was baffled, but still wanted to be polite. The hairdresser sat up and set her book aside, inviting the other clone to sit with her with a wave of her hand.

Rat seemed apprehensive, but sat down anyway. Leigh looked at her, and then back at the cupcake. “Uh...not to come off as rude, but...what's this for?” she asked as tactfully as she could, hoping she didn't appear ungrateful.

Rat was silent for a moment, before speaking without meeting Leigh's gaze. “According to your file, it was your birthday last week, so...” she trailed off, gesturing vaguely to the cupcake, obviously feeling horribly awkward despite making the effort to be nice.

Leigh stared. Rat stared back. Then Leigh snorted and let out a loud laugh.

“Why is it _funny?_ ” Rat asked, affronted.

Leigh laughed a bit more and raised her hand to wipe away a tear. “It's not. Just...fuck.” She sighed deeply. “Sorry.”

Rat frowned and watched as Leigh gently set the cupcake down on the arm of the sofa. The hairdresser had barely given her birthday a second thought, and thinking of it now only reminded her of her parents, of Rachel, and whether or not everyone back home was safe. Where had her parents even gone? Leigh rubbed her forehead with her hand and took another deep breath to stop herself crying.

“Sorry,” she said to Rat again.

“It's...fine,” Rat said awkwardly, shrugging.

“And thanks,” Leigh added quickly, not wanting Rat to think she didn't appreciate the gesture. She looked up and attempted a smile. “It's way better than the crappy one we tried to make for you and Katja.”

Rat grinned and shrugged again. “Aila's keeping an eye on Katja,” she mumbled quietly. “I was going to call Beth and see how she's doing with Alison and the scientist, if you want to join me.”

Leigh abandoned her book completely and nodded. It was better to stay productive. “Sure,” she agreed.

Rat booted up her laptop to pull up a Skype window and leave a short message telling Beth to call them if she was about. Leaning back on the sofa, Rat pulled up a program displaying many lines of seemingly random numbers and symbols. She typed away while waiting for Beth to respond to them.

Leigh watched curiously. “What are you doing?” she dared to inquire.

Rat paused for a moment. “Just getting some work done while waiting for Beth to answer,” she responded vaguely.

“Right...” Leigh said, guessing it was something to do with DYAD.

As if sensing her thoughts, Rat felt the need to clarify. “ _Legal_ work. I need to finish this program design and submit it by next week in order to get paid.”

Leigh raised an eyebrow. “Really? What do you actually _do_ for a living besides the illegal stuff?” It hadn't struck her before now, but she realised she never wondered how exactly the other clone made money for food and to cover the costs of running her servers when she clearly hated interacting with people and going outside.

“Well...it's a bit ironic really, but I help design security software for a large company in France,” Rat explained, glancing at Leigh. “They employ teams from all over, though the rules are fairly lax. As long as the projects are submitted by a certain deadline, you can work on them in your free time, and once they're cleared as being free of major flaws, they direct-deposit paychecks into our accounts.”

Leigh grinned and couldn't help but laugh. “Yeah, that _is_ pretty ironic, all things considered,” she said. “But whatever works.”

“Yeah, this place really isn't cheap to maintain,” Rat said. “But things are pretty much covered as long as I keep up with this.”

Just then, the Skype icon at the bottom of the screen flashed orange. Rat brought the window up to see that Beth had responded, telling them to call. The two clones greeted Beth and waved after starting the call. The Canadian clone waved back, though she seemed annoyed and looked exhausted.

“You look like shit,” Leigh told Beth bluntly.

Beth rolled her eyes. “Did you get Janika's samples?” she asked with an edgy tone to her voice.

“Yes,” Rat confirmed. “We're still trying to figure out when's best to visit Danielle. We thought we'd see how you're doing in the meantime.”

“Ugh,” Beth groaned, rolling her eyes again. She ran a hand through her hair and sighed. “This whole clone bullshit is harder than I thought it'd be.”

Leigh raised her eyebrows, but she couldn't disagree. “I know how you feel there,” she told the detective.

“Honestly, I had Ali here the other day, and Paul turned up unexpectedly,” Beth sighed miserably. “It was such a fuckin' drama trying to keep her out of sight and get her out of the house without Paul seeing. Me and Alison were _just_ starting to get used to things and see eye to eye, but then she full on freaked out and nearly had a friggin' panic attack about the entire thing...she won't go _anywhere_ without a firearm now, and I'm worried she's gonna end up doing something _stupid-_ ”

“Paul didn't _see_ her, did he?” Rat asked, wanting to be sure.

“No, of course he didn't,” Beth snapped, tiredness clearly getting the better of her. “He _knows_ something's up though. I swear he thinks I'm up to _something..._ and if I'm not careful, I'm gonna end up screwing up at _work_. I can't _focus_ on the job anymore because of all this.”

A pause followed. Rat shifted awkwardly and glanced at Leigh.

“You heard from your science buddy?” Leigh asked casually. “Honestly, why don't you just tell us her name already?”

“ _Because,_ ” Beth groaned, glaring at the camera now, “I'm trying to establish _trust_ over here, as well as other stressful bullshit. It's hard enough trying to keep Alison calm without screwing things up with the other one as well. You get those samples to me before anything else.”

“Right...” Leigh sighed.

Beth stared for a moment or two, tugging at her hair uneasily. “Call me again when you have Danielle's samples. I have enough to deal with over here without you lot wasting my time unnecessarily.”

Beth ended the call abruptly.

Leigh and Rat exchanged glances. “That went well,” Rat grumbled.

“She's stressed as fuck,” Leigh told her. “God help the rest of us if the friggin' _cop_ is struggling to cope.”

“Well...I don't know what we do now,” Rat muttered.

Leigh sighed heavily. “Fuck's sake...”

\--

A few days slowly became a few weeks, and the inhabitants of the library were growing restless. There had been no word of another attack from Helena, and though a chance to relax was nice to a degree, nobody dared go outside just yet. The gang crime slowly decreased back to what Rat considered a normal level, though the clones remained cautious and didn't leave the library unless they had to.

They'd kept in weekly contact with Janika, but Beth had all but dropped her communication with them unless she had something critical to report, which wasn't often at all. The detective seemed to be struggling a lot with her personal issues and didn't like mindlessly chatting when there wasn't anything of importance to discuss.

One morning at the beginning of June, Rat walked through the library towards the staircase, quieter than usual. She picked up her coat, as if debating putting it on (even though summer had officially begun and temperatures were pleasantly high) before putting it back down where it had been. She continued her walk towards the staircase.

“You going somewhere?” Aila asked curiously, watching her from the corner of her eye.

Rat paused to glance back. “Yeah. I'll be back in a few hours.”

Leigh, who had been playing fetch with Bianca, looked up. “A few hours? Is it really safe to go out alone for that long?”

Rat shook her head. “I'll be fine, don't worry,” she said, though something definitely seemed off with her. Seeing Leigh and Aila's curious looks, she added, “I just need to clear my head.”

“What's going on?” Aila asked, sensing there was something the other clone wasn't telling them.

“Nothing, honest...just...today's kind of a special day, I suppose, and I'd like to take a walk,” Rat offered as a vague explanation.

Katja glanced up from where she'd been lying on a the sofa with an untouched box of cookies on the floor next to her. “Vat day is today Ratty?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Rat paused, as if considering something, but shook her head. “Nothing for you to worry about. You focus on resting, alright?”

Over the last few weeks, Katja had been slowly getting worse, however much she tried to deny it. She and Rat became unusually distant with each other as the coughing fits became more frequent.

Aila and Leigh noticed the two sisters didn't spend much time together anymore. Katja would sleep more and Rat would keep busy with her computer work. The other two clones were unsure how to help them.

Rat managed to slip away without anyone arguing. In her hurry to leave, and with her thoughts distracting her, the hacker failed to notice a car parked in the shadows of a nearby alley across from the building she stepped out from. Rat walked briskly, head down, unaware of the pair of eyes watching her intently from inside the vehicle.

Back inside, Katja shifted towards the other clones uncomfortably and perched herself on the sofa. The three of them were quiet for a while, each preoccupied with their own thoughts. Leigh continued to toss Bianca's ball every so often for the dog to chase, but she found herself growing restless. Katja dozed in her seat, and Aila eventually took the German's laptop to catch up on the latest news from England.

The doctor gave an almighty sigh after a few minutes. “I know I try to be optimistic about everything, but I am _so_ _bored_ ,” she admitted.

Leigh offered a weak grin and nodded. She agreed with Aila completely. There were only so many days of sitting around doing nothing any sane person could tolerate before they became agitated. “Maybe we should have gone with Rat. Wonder what she's up to...”

“Can't blame her for wanting some air. It's roasting,” Aila complained. She sighed, shut down Katja's laptop and got to her feet. “I think I'll take a wander outside to cool down.”

“I'll come too,” Leigh sighed, she too standing up. She glanced over at Katja before following Aila. It wasn't long before the two of them were outside, taking in the fresh air.

“I'm worried about Katja,” Leigh muttered.

“So you say every day,” Aila commented.

Leigh shrugged. “All she does is sleep these days. I know she liked her sleep before she got sick, but this is crazy.”

Aila suppressed a sigh. She sat down on a stone step and waited for the hairdresser to join her. “I'm worried too,” she mumbled, not meeting Leigh's gaze. “More than I probably let on.”

Leigh watched her. Aila was always the calmest of the group, even in the hardest situations.

“Leigh,” Aila began, looking really uncomfortable now. “It's nearly impossible to tell how fast this disease is spreading without the right equipment to carry out tests and such. I...don't know how long she's got if we can't get her any treatment. I just...” she trailed off.

“There has to be _something,_ ” Leigh grumbled. “I wish Beth would stop being so stubborn! If she told us who this scientist is, we could track her down and go and see her ourselves, couldn't we? Right now it seems as if _she_ can help Katja if nobody else can.”

“I suppose we _could_...but how well do you think that'd go down, really?” Aila asked with raised eyebrows.

“Yeah well, nothing goes as planned, does it? I bet Rat has info on the scientist in all those files somewhere. Maybe we should try to work out who she is ourselves.”

“And piss off Rat and Beth in the process?” Aila asked.

“What's the alternative?” Leigh asked desperately. “Sit around for God knows how many more weeks trying to find the right time to meet Danielle, while Katja gets worse in the meantime? What if she gets so bad she can't travel anymore? I don't know. This scientist wants proof of our existence. Maybe meeting her is our best option. Maybe we should just go while we still can.”

They both fell quiet. Aila's head raced with thoughts at all Leigh had just spoken. She agreed Leigh had a point, but it wasn't without risk. The doctor wasn't sure what to make of it.

Aila's head snapped up suddenly when the figure of a man caught her eye. He stood quite still before the clones, just staring. Aila stared back. The man was tall, aging, dressed in black, and he had a bald head. Aila nudged Leigh to get her attention.

“Hmm?” Leigh responded, looking up.

Her eyes found the man's, and her blood turned cold.


	18. Chapter 17

Leigh found herself unable to move as the man standing before her and Aila offered a tiny smile. She could not believe what she was seeing.

The man took a step towards the women. He raised his hands to signal he meant no harm. “Ashleigh,” he spoke in a startled voice with raised eyebrows. Leigh flinched and shrunk back a bit, and the man's smile grew a little. “I _almost_ didn't recognise you. I hadn't counted on you changing your appearance so drastically.”

Leigh felt numb with panic, but she forced herself to stand up. Aila stood too, and she frowned at Leigh in utter confusion before staring back at the man. He took a few more steps closer and chuckled a bit.

“Sorry,” he addressed Aila this time. “Aldous Leekie. You must be Aila. Glad to finally meet you, and glad to see you're staying out of trouble these days.”

Aila opened her mouth to say something, but no sound came out. She instinctively took a step back, causing Leekie to raise his hands once again.

“I _just_ want to talk,” he assured them both. Leigh clenched her fists automatically, wanting to demand how Leekie had found them, but she couldn't bring herself to speak. “I'm taking it Katja is with you too?”

“What's it to _you?_ ” Leigh snapped at last with a trembling voice. Leekie faltered for a moment, looking quite affronted. “How...stay away; I mean it,” Leigh continued.

“As I said, I only want to talk and clear up any misunderstandings,” Leekie insisted.

“About _what?_ ” Leigh asked. She barely paid attention as Aila took another step back. She tugged on the hairdresser's arm to urge her to move away, but Leigh didn't budge.

“About your little adventure and the friends you've made along the way,” Leekie offered.

Leigh shook her head. “Yeah, the clones you don't give a shit about,” she managed angrily.

“I can assure you that isn't the case, Ashleigh,” Leekie told her calmly. He looked a little bit sad. “I completely understand that this is why you're doing what you're doing. You believe it's right. But your actions are only causing more damage, Ashleigh. Let us speak with you – all three of you – so we can explain all you ought to know before you carry on.”

Leigh and Aila stared and hesitated. Leigh frowned, but Aila found her voice at last. “Us?” she repeated.

“Ah,” Leekie responded. He paused for a moment, allowing Leigh and Aila to wonder why he hadn't mentioned Rat or even asked if she was around, but at that moment, Leekie turned his head and nodded at something.

It took a few seconds for the women to hear the sound of heels clicking against the pavement from somewhere out of sight. They watched and waited until another person came into view – a person in a long black coat, high heels, and short, blonde hair. Leigh turned numb a second time when the face of Rachel Duncan looked directly at her.

Rachel stared at Leigh for a long, silent, tense moment. She didn't give the slightest glance to Aila. After several minutes of the staring contest, Rachel spoke. “Your disappearance has been irksome, Ashleigh.”

These words seemed to snap Leigh out of her shock, and she glared back at the blonde clone. “Yeah, well, _sorry._ Didn't know you cared so bloody much...” she grumbled sarcastically, before looking back at Leekie.

The older man offered a light and reassuring smile. “Why don't you go and get Miss Obinger and we'll have a talk,” he said calmly.

“She's sleeping,” Aila informed him, her eyes darting between him and Rachel. Something about the pair disturbed her slightly, but she couldn't put her finger on what it was.

Leekie was quiet for a moment, but then smiled and shrugged. “That's fine. I won't ask to come inside. I'm sure you two are more than capable of remembering our discussion. You can talk about it later as a group.”

Taking a seat on one of the stone steps in front of the library, the older man gestured with his hand for Leigh and Aila to sit as well. Rachel remained standing. Aila looked at her uneasily. This was really Leigh's twin sister? Did the blonde woman even know?

“I'll stand,” Leigh muttered, crossing her arms. She was tense, and her gaze shifted between Leekie and Rachel. Aila remained standing as well, not at all sure what to make of the situation. The way Rat spoke about Leekie, she made him out to be the devil on earth, but this man seemed like a cheerful grandfather figure at a first glance.

“So what do you want?” Leigh asked quietly when nobody spoke for a minute.

Leekie seemed to be gathering his thoughts. He looked troubled. “This is a bit of a sensitive topic, but I figured now would be the best time to discuss things regarding your journeys, and where they might lead you. I'll be blunt...I would very much like you to come home...” he began. When Leigh opened her mouth to say something, Leekie quickly held a hand up. “ _But_ I'm not going to force you,” he continued. “You have to make your own choices in this matter. I normally wouldn't interfere like this, but there are some things I felt the need to tell you. Not really standard protocol, as you know, but I do care about your well-being, and I don't want you to get hurt...”

Leigh raised an eyebrow, not at all sure what Leekie was talking about. She glanced at Aila, who looked equally puzzled and offered a shrug. The doctor remained silent. She figured there wasn't any harm in hearing what the man had to say.

“It's about Regina,” Leekie explained. “There are things you should probably know, to clear the air and to have an understanding of the larger situation that's playing out.” Leekie looked down at his hands with a frown, appearing to be troubled.

“Who?” Leigh asked, blinking slowly.

“I believe she calls herself Annabelle these days, though her real name is Regina Colbert,” Leekie said, watching Leigh's expression carefully. She still seemed confused.

“Wait...you mean Rat?” Aila guessed.

Leekie tilted his head, an odd look of bemusement on his face. “ _Rat?_ Is that her newest name? How odd...fitting I suppose, but...” he trailed off, giving a friendly chuckle.

Leigh felt uneasy at the direction the conversation was heading, but she kept her mouth firmly shut. She knew Rat and Leekie had a bad past, but what was Leekie about to say to shed light on the situation that Rat herself refused to talk about in any detail?

“She told us a lot about you...” Aila said quietly, though she looked somewhat doubtful already. She didn't get any threatening vibes from Leekie at all...

“I'm sure she did,” Leekie sighed. “When I met Regina, it wasn't under the best of circumstances. I believe she was eighteen when she relocated to London with the rest of her family. Her sister, Cecile, began showing bizarre and terrifying symptoms of an illness that...well...to be blunt, we didn't know about. We'd never seen anything like it, and there was no record of any illnesses ever being reported before then. We looked worldwide but no one could find out what the disease was or how she even came by it in the first place...”

Leigh nodded quietly. This was consistent with what she'd already been told.

Leekie sighed, looking remorseful and guilty. “We tried everything we could, but nothing we did seemed to have any effect on the sickness. Upon closer inspection, we determined the illness was an auto-immune disorder that resulted in polyps forming on Cecile's lungs, making it hard for her to breathe. The polyps also bled frequently, causing her to expel the excess blood manually before it filled up her lungs and drowned her. We all fought for her life for three years...but unfortunately, she passed away in June of 2005. Today, in fact, is the anniversary of her passing.”

Aila took a very close interest in what Leekie was saying, making several mental notes about the more detailed description of the illness. She hoped she could think of something she could do for Katja with this new information. Leigh's eyes widened when Leekie told them it was the anniversary of Cecile's death, suddenly understanding why Rat had been acting off all morning.

“However,” Leekie continued, “Regina blamed the medical staff at DYAD for not trying hard enough to save her sister. We assumed it was the grief talking...in the weeks following, her parents noticed a disturbing trend of introversion and aggression which hadn't been present in Regina before. She'd spend the majority of her time locked in her room with her computers, until one night she vanished completely without a word. As you can imagine, we were all extremely worried for her safety, given her mental state at the time...though nobody could have predicted the true extent of the damage that had been cast on her from the traumatic experience.”

“What do you mean?” Leigh asked, almost afraid of what Leekie was about to say next. She wasn't sure she entirely believed him, but so far his story lined up with what she already knew about the hacker's past. As much as the Swiss woman annoyed her, Leigh didn't view her as mental.

“In the years following Regina's disappearance, various DYAD facilities began to shut down, all infected with the same information-gathering virus,” Leekie continued his tale. “Considering the fact Regina was always very clever with computers, and the timing of the events, I could only assume the attacks were down to her somehow. We attempted several times to make contact, but the attempts were blocked quickly enough. It wasn't until just a few weeks ago that we got a more complete story about what became of her.

“To answer your earlier question, we discovered this location thanks to a very observant member of our tracking division. Upon seeing your flight patterns, he noticed on the trips to and from Italy, another passenger, Annabelle Lake, was on both flights. Her ticket was purchased just moments before or after yours on both trips, and always in the seat next to yours. It was very likely this wasn't a coincidence, and so we started looking into Annabelle's life a bit. It lead us back to the city of Geneva as her birthplace. What was strange though, was that this woman didn't seem to exist before seven years ago, and well...upon seeing a photo ID, it didn't take long to realise why.”

Leigh and Aila glanced at each other again, frowning in confusion. While this story was informative, it hardly touched on why Leekie insisted he needed to tell them all of this.

“So what's the big deal then?” Leigh asked, puzzled. “What did you mean earlier about the true extent of the damage?”

“Ah yes, I was just getting to that,” Leekie nodded. “Well, the short life of Annabelle Lake tells quite a lot about that. Seven years ago, Regina had this building renovated with funds stolen from her parents' bank accounts, and as far as we can tell, she's lived here ever since. Though what troubles me is the fact that five years ago, she was clinically diagnosed with a mental condition called paranoid schizophrenia. It seems, judging from her medical records, that shortly after running away from home, or possibly even before that, Regina suffered some type of psychotic break. She became completely fixated on the loss of her sister and on extracting revenge on DYAD for their supposed role in the death.

“Five years ago though, this seemed to open the pathway for an even deeper form of psychopathy, include things like violent hallucinations which never fully went away. Regina also felt as though everyone in the world was a DYAD spy. She was put on anti-psychotic medication shortly after being diagnosed, of course, though...I can't help but worry about the safety of you both and Katja in the presence of someone so unpredictable and violent. She needs help, badly, before someone ends up getting hurt in the fires of her delusions.”

“She's not _violent,_ ” Aila spoke right away, sounding bolder suddenly. “No...she's never been...she's not like how you described. A bit moody, but-”

“Unpredictable,” Leekie insisted. “How much has she told you, really?”

“Look, I don't like her at the best of times,” Leigh cut in, eyebrows furrowed. “But...she's just _not-_ ”

“But you don't _see_ the other side of her,” Leekie interrupted again.

“And what if it's all bullshit?” Leigh snapped, laughing falsely now. “How do we know you haven't brought men to have us black-bagged and dragged off against our will? I don't trust you.”

A small, sad smile appeared on Leekie's face. He shook his head and sighed. “This is precisely what I'm talking about. I don't remember you being this defensive and paranoid. Do you, Rachel?” He turned to look at Rachel, waiting for her to agree with him, but Rachel said nothing. Leigh did not look at the proclone, but she could feel her staring intensely. Leigh tried to ignore her as Leekie spoke again. “Being _around_ Regina has caused you this confusion and anger. Ashleigh, you are wasting your time here. I understand what you're trying to do, but running like this is solving nothing. You have achieved nothing, and Aryanna is already dead. How much longer do you think you can keep this up for?”

Aila glared down at the man, the mention of Aryanna's name reigniting the raging fire in her. “That reminds me. Why the _fuck_ did you stop the investigation into Aryanna's murder? It's like you don't WANT to find the killer! She died a _hero_ and you're just content to sweep her under the rug like you do everything else!”

Leekie seemed taken aback that the Scottish clone knew this, but his surprise was quickly masked with a smile. “Of _course_ we want to find the killer, but I'm sure you can understand that we don't want to drag the whole of the Italian police force into this. It will be safer and more effective if we leave the general population out if it. I assure you that the DYAD affiliates stationed in Italy are working around the clock to investigate the matter even as we speak.”

Aila didn't seem the slightest bit impressed, though she fell silent again for the moment and glanced at Leigh. Instead, Leigh looked back at Rachel, who had been silent throughout the conversation. She was watching Leigh carefully, never taking her eyes off her. Leigh felt sick to see her again. Was this why Leekie brought Rachel along? To try and convince her to come home?

“Also...” Leekie started again. “I didn't want to say anything originally, because I don't want to scare you...but...we have evidence that suggests the killer may wish to target you next, Ashleigh...this is another reason why we feel it would be best for you to return home, to ensure your safety.”

“The doll,” Leigh said numbly, still staring at Rachel. “I know, but I'm not leaving. Any one of us could be targeted at any time. I wouldn't feel right leaving the others behind. I'll take my chances.”

With an irritable sigh, Leigh broke eye contact with Rachel and hurried past her, needing some space. She half expected Leekie to stop her, but he didn't. Instead, Leigh listened as Aila challenged Leekie once more, demanding more evidence about Rat and attempting to defend her as well as criticizing his involvement in the investigation into Aryanna's murder. Leigh rounded the corner of the building, took a deep, steadying breath, and turned around. She flinched a bit to see Rachel had followed her.

They stared at each other.

“Why are you here?” Leigh asked bluntly.

“Why are _you?_ ” Rachel retaliated.

More staring. Leigh took a step back. “If you and him are so smart, you ought to know why already,” she told Rachel. “Seriously, what do you _want?_ ”

Rachel hesitated. She took a step towards Leigh, and then another. Her unfaltering stare annoyed and disturbed Leigh at the same time. “I don't like what you've done with your hair,” Rachel commented.

Leigh let out a hollow laugh. “Yeah, well, I still hate yours too,” she said truthfully.

“I wish to speak with you,” Rachel spoke over Leigh, ignoring her response.

“I'm not coming back to London, Rachel,” Leigh warned her, shaking her head. “So forget it.”

“I'm not asking you to,” Rachel told her quietly. “Though the presence of the doll at the scene of the murder was...unsettling.”

“Bullshit,” Leigh shot at her. “Why else are you here? To back up his story about Rat and drag me back to DYAD so I can't screw anything else up for you.”

“Leigh,” Rachel pleaded, and Leigh felt a surge of annoyance to hear the nickname coming out of Rachel's mouth again after all this time. “It is impossible to communicate _here_. Meet me later on tonight.” She reached into her pocket and pulled out a folded up bit of paper. She handed it to the hairdresser, who reluctantly took it. “It'll just be you and I. You have my word. It is of great importance.”

Leigh continued to stare at Rachel. Part of her wanted to demand answers there and then, but she managed to keep controlled as Rachel turned and walked away. Leigh followed a bit, and then stopped, biting her lip. “How do I know I can trust you?” Leigh demanded, catching Rachel's attention again.

Rachel stopped abruptly. She looked back over her shoulder at Leigh, and simply stared. After a second or two, she was walking away again, leaving Leigh with the location of the meeting place on the piece of paper in her hand.

\--

Leekie and Rachel soon departed, and Aila and Leigh made their way inside to talk to Katja. They figured if anyone could shed light on this whole mess, it'd be Rat's sister. Making their way up to the third floor, the two looked around for a sign of the German woman, though a quick look into the room where she and Rat slept showed that she was again flat out, snoring quietly.

Aila sat on the edge of Katja's bed and lightly shook her shoulders. An odd sound made her glance over at Leigh, who was sitting on the edge of Rat's bed, pulling open the dresser drawer.

“Leigh!” Aila whispered. “What the bloody hell are you doing!? That's a complete invasion of privacy!”

Leigh looked up guiltily. “I know! I just...look, every so often, I see Rat taking these weird pills. I just thought...” she trailed off and closed the drawer again. “Fuck, I don't even know what I thought. You're right, that wasn't on. Let's just get Katja up and talk to her.”

“Vaaaaaaaat?”  Katja groaned, pulling the covers over her head again.

“Katja, please get up,” Aila said, pulling the covers back down. “Something's happened. We need to talk to you about something important.”

“It's about Rat,” Leigh clarified.

At this statement, Katja seemed slightly more willing to wake up. She sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes. “Vat happened to Ratty?”

“Well, nothing, but...” Aila frowned and glanced at Leigh, not sure how to begin talking about what just happened outside.

Leigh inhaled deeply and froze for a moment. Then she invited herself to sit on the end of Katja's bed. Aila remained quiet while the hairdresser explained what had happened...but for now, she left out the fact that Rachel had asked Leigh to meet her later on. Leigh wasn't sure herself if she wanted to, and her hand gripped the piece of paper tighter inside her pocket out of nerves as she spoke.

There was no denying the alarm on Katja's face as she listened to the story. “Zey are _here?_ ” she asked, surprised. “And you are _trusting_  zem?”

“That's not what I said,” Leigh told her firmly. Aila nodded in agreement. “I'm just saying...Leekie's very convincing when he wants to be. Personally, I've never had anything against him. He's always been...fine...ever since I was a kid...minus the playroom thing...but that's not to say Rat's wrong. I don't _know_.”

“We should talk to Rat,” Aila piped up. Katja looked up at her. “Something doesn't add up, that's for sure.”

“There was something else,” Leigh spoke again, staring at the bed sheets. “Leekie and Rachel want me to go back to London with them. Leekie says I won't be forced, but I don't know. If Rat IS right about him...”

“How do you know he doesn't have an army of DYAD minions vith him just vaiting to come get us?” Katja shot at her, frowning. “Vee should ditch zis place vile vee can.”

“We _need_ to talk to _Rat_ ,” Aila said again, more irritably this time. “Let's just wait until she gets back and hear her side.”

The clones were anxious as they waited. Even Aila couldn't help pacing restlessly, clearly nervous in case Leekie showed up again. Eventually, at long last, sounds could be heard from elsewhere in the library. It wasn't long before Rat came into view, looking quite sleepy, or bored, or lost in thought – Leigh wasn't sure which. She stared at the hacker unintentionally, and she wasn't the only one.

Rat stopped in her tracks and glanced around at the group. She frowned subtly. “What have you done _this_ time?” she demanded loudly.

“What makes you think we've done anything?” Leigh shot back, though she couldn't deny she probably looked as anxious as she felt.

Rat raised an eyebrow, looking unimpressed. “You all look nervous, so out with it.”

“DYAD are here,” Katja stated.

Rat's eyebrows shot up and she paled instantly. “ _WHAT?!_ ”

Leigh tried to say something, but it seemed Rat had gone into a panic, quickly rushing around the room to gather her things and throw them into a bag.

“Rat...RAT!” Leigh tried, but to no avail. The hairdresser sighed, knowing she was probably going to get a very bad reaction to what she was about to say. “ _REGINA!_ ”

Rat froze mid-movement, her eyes wide with stunned shock. She slowly looked over to Leigh, apparently at a loss for words for a moment. “How...how did you learn my name?” she asked, regaining her composure after the shock wore off. She eyed Leigh wearily.

Leigh took a deep breath. “Yes, we have to leave, but...first there's something we need to talk to you about...something Leekie said...”

“Wait, you _SPOKE_ to _LEEKIE_?!” the hacker screeched, her jaw dropping open. “WHY on Earth would you do _THAT?!_ ”

“Because...” Leigh started, but then trailed off. Why _had_ she stuck around to talk to him? She refused to acknowledge it had anything to do with Rachel's presence. She shook her head. “I don't know, OK? But there were things he said that we need to clear up, because something isn't adding up.”

Rat groaned and rubbed her head, before reluctantly sitting down on one of her sofas. “Tell me _exactly_ what happened,” she said, trying to keep her cool and think rationally. She knew Leekie shouldn't be able to access the building in any way, so they were safe for the moment.

Katja sat beside her sister, hoping to keep her calm. Leigh and Aila then explained how they went outside only to be approached by Leekie and Rachel.

“WHAT?!” Rat interrupted loudly. “Rachel Duncan is here too?!”

Leigh nodded. “Yes! Rachel's here too. Now just be quiet and let us finish!”

The two continued to explain what Leekie had told him. Rat grit her teeth and almost physically shook with anger, but she managed to contain herself until the other two clones finished speaking.

“So yeah...that's what we wanted to talk about. What he said about being diagnosed with a mental disorder...is it true?” Aila asked, coming right out with it.

“Don't you see what he's doing?” Rat gasped, her fists clenched on her lap. “He's trying to turn us against each other! Ignore him! We need to leave, _now,_ before we all get black-bagged and thrown in cages!”

Leigh frowned. “That didn't answer the question,” she stated firmly.

Rat stared at her in disbelief. “Are you _actually_ taking the piss right now? You can't seriously be asking me that.”

Katja nodded in agreement. “Rattyrat ez moody, but psychotic ez...eeeeh, a bit of a stretch, ez it not?”

Leigh rubbed her head. “Look, we just need to know the facts, alright? Bcause something seriously isn't adding up. Why would Leekie say something that specific if there wasn't something behind it? No offense, but we don't really _know_ anything about you. You're always so secretive about everything! I think if there's something behind it, even something small, we deserve to know about it.”

Rat glared at her. “Anything in my medical records is _my_ business,” she said lowly, her voice dropping to a threatening pitch. “You're right. You _don't_ know a single thing about me if you're really going to buy into this crap. Here's a thought; if I was truly paranoid, Leekie and Duncan wouldn't _BE_ here right now, would they?” she challenged in a raised voice. Leigh couldn't tell if it was out of anger or offense.

Aila frowned while staring at the hacker. She knew Rat had a point there, but she still felt as though Rat was purposely dodging the question.

Leigh glanced at the clock and groaned to herself. It was nearly time for her meeting with Rachel. She stood quickly, startling the others, and just decided to come right out with it. “Rachel wanted to meet me and talk at a place not far from here. I'm going to see what she wants, and then we can leave.”

Rat stared at her in disbelief. “ _WHAT?_ You can't POSSIBLY think that's a good idea! They'll just grab you and run off, I hope you realise!”

Even Aila looked uncertain at this revelation, staring at Leigh with concern. “Are you sure you can trust her? What if it IS a trap? Someone should go with you.”

Leigh shook her head. “Look I KNOW its probably a stupid idea but, I'm going, _alone_.”

“You are so bloody _stupid!_ ” Rat growled at Leigh with narrowed eyes. She stood and turned to walk towards another room; a room none of the others had ever been in before. Leigh watched her go with a sigh, assuming the conversation was over. She started to walk towards the staircase.

“ _HALT._ ”

Leigh jumped and paused, finding Rat's seething eyes locked on her again. “You wait right there,” Rat ordered, before vanishing into the unknown room. Leigh debated leaving anyway, but decided to stay put at least for a moment. She knew the others couldn't really stop her from going.

When Rat reemerged a few minutes later, she seemed to be holding something. She approached Leigh, roughly took her hand, and shoved the unknown item into it. Leigh gasped to see herself holding a small black pistol.

“You _do_ know which end the bullets come out of, I hope,” Rat said coldly before turning and towards her desktop computers. Leigh assumed Rat planned to erase everything on the machines.

Leigh put the weapon in her pocket. Even though Rat was unhappy, she'd given Leigh something to give her a chance should Rachel's meeting turn out to be a trap. “Thanks...” Leigh said, before looking around the room. “If I'm not back in an hour, take off without me.”

“Who says we're waiting an hour?” Rat grumbled, though Aila nodded to Leigh.

Without another word, the hairdresser turned and walked down the staircase.

\--

Leigh's heart raced as she approached a rather large bar on a busy street. She could already see Rachel standing still as a statue, staring into the crowd while she waited for her twin to arrive. She took a few moments to spot Leigh approaching her. Leigh automatically gripped the pistol in her pocket with a trembling hand.

“You came,” Rachel greeted her.

Leigh nodded. “Yeah. Don't make me regret it.”

Rachel stared at her. “Why would I do that?”

“You tell me,” Leigh shot at her. “What do you _want,_ Rachel?”

“There are things I need to make you aware of, and I...could not do that with Aldous present. I said before I'm not trying to make you come back to London, but I lied.”

“Yeah, I knew that already,” Leigh told her evenly.

“Of course I want you to come back. You are not safe here,” Rachel explained tonelessly. “If you'll please come inside, I can explain things to you properly.”

“And you think I'm safe back home, with DYAD? With Leekie?” Leigh questioned. She tightened her grip on the pistol and looked around anxiously. She couldn't help feeling edgy at the thought of unwanted visitors turning up to black-bag her like Rat suggested. It made her shudder.

Rachel lowered her gaze to Leigh's pocket, seeing instantly what she was doing. A faint, false smile appeared on her face as she met Leigh's gaze again. “Really, Leigh? Are you going to shoot me?” she asked, still smiling. Her smile was unnerving. It made Leigh step back away from her.

“I will if you try to have me black-bagged,” she warned her sister.

“Oh _please,_ no you won't,” Rachel responded. She looked as though she was about to roll her eyes, but then thought better of it, as though she was above displaying such emotion. “You really have been spending too much time with Regina. Keep that thing out of sight and come and sit down.”

Rachel turned on her heel and entered the bar quickly. Leigh bit down hard, composed herself with a sigh, and quickly pulled out the pistol to hide it in her bag instead. Rachel was right, and she hated it. She wasn't sure she could put a bullet in her own sister, even if her life depended on it.

“Fine,” Leigh hissed as she caught up to the blonde clone. “But if any of your minions show up, I'll bleedin' well shoot _them._ ”

Rachel smirked a bit as they made their way to the back of the bar. She clearly didn't take Leigh seriously at all. “I thought meeting in a public place would put you more at ease. Sit.”

Leigh kept her stare on Rachel as they both took seats at a deserted table in the otherwise crowded bar. The hairdresser listened briefly to the murmur of customers talking and socialising before putting her full attention back on Rachel.

“Bit unsophisticated for you, isn't it?” she mocked, though her expression remained serious. She had to admit Rachel had a point, though. She couldn't see DYAD bursting into a place like this to take Leigh and attracting the wrong kind of attention. But still...it was hard to feel relaxed.

“That's precisely the point,” Rachel assured her. She unbuttoned her coat slowly and observed Leigh thoughtfully. “Under any other circumstances I would not set foot in such a place, and that's exactly why I chose it. Aldous knows nothing of our meeting tonight, and it _will_ stay that way.”

“Yeah right,” Leigh grumbled, folding her arms defensively. “You're probably recording this right now.”

Rachel stared at her. Leigh stared back, willing herself not to look away or appear intimidated, but Rachel's stare was as unnerving as ever.

“I have no way to prove to you that I am _not_ ,” Rachel spoke calmly. “However, I find it ironic that you are the one having trouble trusting me and DYAD when you're the one who sabotaged us.”

“ _What?_ ” Leigh snapped.

“You have started something near impossible to fix,” Rachel explained, still staring. “You have tracked down other subjects. You have made them aware and ensured some of them, including yourself, are unmonitored. Everything DYAD has worked to achieve with this experiment is falling apart because of _you_. You'll forgive Aldous for feeling some degree of anger for your actions.”

“And who was it who told me about other subjects in the first place, Rachel?” Leigh challenged her. She sat up a little straighter. “Does Aldous know that was down to you? Does he know you blabbed to me about the illness too?”

Rachel paused for a moment. She blinked slowly before responding. “I should not have done that,” she insisted. “It was confidential information and you weren't ever to find out.”

“So _why_ did you tell me?” Leigh demanded. She shook her head in disbelief, unable to understand any of it.

“I was not in the right frame of mind, if you care to remember. I was unprofessional, and I let...personal emotions cloud my judgment. At the time, I was simply trying to explain to you why I wanted you to work with DYAD.”

“Yeah,” Leigh said, nodding at the memory. “So there was more chance of them protecting me from this illness and the killer. _Why_ don't you just admit you care?”

Rachel faltered for a moment. It was strange seeing her looking so torn. “I never for one second suggested I don't care,” she stated. 

There was another brief moment of silence, in which the clones stared at each other. Leigh found she couldn't deal with the tension, so she got up to order drinks from the bar. She set down a glass in front of Rachel, who simply stared at it. She didn't touch the beverage, while Leigh focused on downing her own.

“So what about the others, then?” Leigh spoke up again eventually. “Because it's clear you don't give a damn what happens to them.”

“The other subjects were supposed to remain unaware, meaning they would never come into contact with DYAD,” Rachel told her sternly. “But you are _different_. You always were. You would have been safer, stronger on the inside, knowing what you are, with everything you need for the best protection possible.”

“So because you and I were raised knowing what we were, you think we're better than the others,” Leigh shot at her. “How can you even _think_ like that? Rachel, these people...they're not just _subjects_. They're real people, with real stories and real lives, and if anyone deserves protection, it's _them_. That's why I had to go. It was...instinctive.”

“To risk your life for people you had never even met?” Rachel asked, raising her eyebrows a little in surprise. “This is where I fail to understand you. You abandoned us so abruptly without having a real plan and have done nothing but trigger the start of what I'm sure will be a very messy chain of events. _But_...Aldous seems to understand why you did it. He is willing to give you another chance. You have created problems, but they _can_ be fixed.”

“Oh yeah?”

“We will get in touch with the subjects you have already been in contact with. We will offer them protection and the chance to live their lives unmonitored in exchange for regular testing. We're willing to compromise.”

“Not good enough,” Leigh said instantly. “There are still hundreds of other subjects out there; I know it!”

“And it is not your place to get involved,” Rachel told her.

“And it's not yours to pick and choose who gets DYAD's protection and who gets abandoned!” Leigh raised her voice now.

“No, it is _not,_ ” Rachel agreed, nodding. “I have _some_ influence over what happens to _you_ though, if you'll just do as I ask. I can still protect you. At least let me do that.”

Leigh fell quiet. Anger slowly crept up on her, and she shook her head and stood up quickly.

“Sorry Rachel,” she said sharply, glaring down at the blonde clone. “I can't place myself higher up than the others and turn my back on them. I'm not like you. I'd rather be one of the abandoned if it means I can actually help the others survive.”

“What use is risking your own life?” Rachel challenged her. “Your stubbornness is aggravating. Did you ever consider for a moment that there are people back home who are _scared_ for you? Who miss  you and want you back?”

Leigh stopped in her tracks to leave. She turned back to look at Rachel.

“I have been trying to get hold of you since you left,” Rachel continued. “I called you several times. I thought perhaps you would return my calls after listening to my messages, and it troubled me that you did not. I hoped you were ignoring me on purpose. I did not wish to think of the alternative.”

Leigh frowned deeply. “I wasn't stupid enough to take my phone with me, Rachel,” she explained.

“No, I didn't think you were,” Rachel agreed. “But your property was searched and your phone was never retrieved. Aldous tells me it remains missing.”

“Well whoever searched didn't look very hard then, because I left it on the coffee table in the living room,” Leigh told her, though she wasn't entirely sure why she was explaining this to Rachel. “I didn't take it out of my house because I knew I could be tracked. I didn't hide it away, either, because I didn't want to look suspicious.”

“Aldous would have found it if you left it lying around,” Rachel insisted.

Leigh nodded. “Yeah,” she agreed. She willed herself to sit back down and watched Rachel carefully. “So maybe he's lying to _you_ as well.”

Rachel said nothing. She appeared calm and unfazed, but Leigh was sure she detected a hint of confusion on her face, if only for a second.

“So you were _worried_ about me? You _missed_ me?” Leigh dared her.

Rachel hesitated. “Aldous is right about one thing,” she told the hairdresser quietly. “How long can you keep this up for? What happened to Aryanna could have easily happened to you. The next one is very likely going to _be_ you, if that doll was any indication.”

“And like I said, I can't just leave these people behind!” Leigh argued. She ran a hand through her hair, trying not to think of the creepy doll.

“Leigh, I see no logic in being so concerned for the safety of people you have never met; who mean _nothing_ to you,” Rachel responding, still unmoving.

“How do you know they mean nothing to me?”

“You can't save everyone,” Rachel said quietly.

“I can bloody well try,” Leigh said stubbornly.

“Leigh,” Rachel said again. She closed her eyes and resisted a sigh, apparently growing exasperated   with the hairdresser. She opened her mouth to speak again, but Leigh cut across her.

“I don't buy any of that bullshit about Rat,” she continued, holding Rachel's gaze. “He says Rat's influence has made me paranoid, but I had reason to be pissed off at DYAD before I met her. That's another reason I left.”

“What do you mean?” Rachel whispered now.

“Michael for a start,” Leigh explained. “My monitor. I found out he was a junkie and DYAD was keeping him out of prison by getting him to watch me. That's pretty effed up in my eyes. Then when you told me about this illness, it made me think DYAD must have a cure.”

“I want you in the best possible place should you start to show symptoms,” Rachel admitted. “Listen to me...about Regina's sister...Cecile...Aldous did not give you the full story.”

“Oh?” Leigh questioned.

“He was...not as caring about the situation as he made out. He offered treatment, but Cecile was...treated as more of an experiment than a patient.”

“How do you know _that?_ ” Leigh asked.

“Because I saw it,” Rachel admitted. “I was there.”

Leigh's anger subsided slowly. She wasn't sure of the look on Rachel's face...but she began to understand Rat a lot more. Was _this_ why she hated Rachel so much? Because Rachel witnessed what happened to Cecile and did nothing to stop it?

“So you let her die,” Leigh whispered.

“It wasn't my place to interfere,” Rachel told her.

“But you're interfering now,” Leigh reminded her in a raised voice. “You've been interfering with _me_ since day one; since you told me about this illness.”

“Because I do not wish to see you suffer the same fate. If there _is_ a cure, you are more likely to receive it if you offer your services to DYAD like I have-”

“See, there you go again!” Leigh snapped, shaking her head in defeat. “You'll stand by and do nothing to help the other subjects, like they're not important-”

“But _you_ are important to _me,_ ” Rachel interrupted loudly.

Leigh fell silent. She wasn't sure she believed this confession. It was much too out of character for Rachel to say such a thing these days.

“I hate what they've done to you,” Leigh whispered. She could not get her head around the fact Rachel cared nothing for the other clones; that she wished to serve only herself and those she deemed worthy. It was sick, and Leigh was starting to feel emotional now, but she was determined not to show it. She wanted to ask if Rachel was aware they were sisters, but something held her back. “I think deep down, you hate it too,” she added instead. “That's _why_ you're doing all of this really, isn't it? It's why you told me about the other subjects; why you told me about the illness. Why you let my parents do a runner when Leekie kept them hostage at DYAD.”

Rachel's head snapped up sharply at this comment, and she looked genuinely surprised. Her eyes were wide for a moment, and she couldn't seem to find the words to respond.

“Yeah, you've been rebelling against DYAD in your own way from the start,” Leigh carried on, her voice shaking a bit. “Maybe _that's_ why you told me what you told me. Maybe you wanted to do something, but you were too scared to do it yourself. That's why you avoided me afterwards; you regretted telling me in case it all went wrong, which it did, for DYAD. You're scared they'll find out this only happened because _you_ betrayed their trust.”

Rachel remained quiet, but she shook her head. Leigh clenched her fists tightly together.

“What are you so afraid of?” Leigh asked her.

“I'm not afraid of anything,” Rachel insisted.

“Yes you are,” Leigh told her. “You're afraid of life without DYAD. It's all you know, and honestly, it's _sad._ ”

“I did not invite you here for this reason,” Rachel snapped. She was looking uncharacteristically angry now, as if she couldn't believe Leigh dared to analyse her like this. “I simply wished to offer you protection and a second chance, but clearly my attempts are futile. If I cannot convince you, perhaps your parents can.”

Leigh watched as Rachel opened up her handbag to pull out another piece of paper. Leigh could see it had information written on it. Rachel passed it to her.

“You know where they are?” Leigh asked, shocked.

“They are looking for you,” Rachel told her. “Contact them.”

Leigh stared at her. Rachel stared back. Leigh felt extremely annoyed again.

“Why should I trust Leekie after he had my parents hostage? I know he was planning to bait me. You did too, and you let them go. Just admit you hate this.”

“I am not discussing this, Leigh,” Rachel told her. She stood up quickly, fastened up her coat and hurried to leave.

Leigh stood up and followed her. “Leekie's a _liar_ ,” she said in a rushed voice. She reached out and grabbed Rachel's arm to get her to stop, and Rachel turned around, looking affronted that Leigh dared to touch her. “You're wrong if you think you're better protected because you work for DYAD. None of us mean anything to them. We're _all_ just experiments; even you, which is why we're better together, _without_ them. That's why I left, Rachel, and I wish you'd join us. Leekie's been keeping things from you; from both of us. You can't trust him.”

“Keeping things from me?” Rachel asked.

Leigh faltered. Once again, she couldn't find herself to tell Rachel the truth. She wasn't sure she wanted to when Rachel was still so torn and unpredictable. Leigh wasn't sure Rachel would believe her anyway.

Leigh let out a short groan of anger and threw her arms around Rachel before she could fight the urge. She held Rachel tightly for a moment, feeling angry and sad at the same time, while Rachel froze completely. Leigh sighed. This was all too much.

“You are so _annoying_ ,” she told Rachel. Rachel said nothing, but she trembled a bit and placed one hand on Leigh's back in a feeble attempt to return the gesture, but Leigh let go and backed away quickly. Rachel looked lost.

Leigh rushed past her twin and left the bar before Rachel could stop her. She quickened her pace as she strode out onto the street, trying to remember how to get back to Rat's place from here. She pushed past people, and jumped in fright when someone grabbed her arm from behind.

“Shit!” Leigh panicked as she whipped around. She was surprised to see Rachel had caught up to her. She was wearing her usual blank expression again, but she moved quickly to keep up with Leigh, who didn't stop or slow down.

“Really, Ashleigh? You come out with something like that, and then you walk away? I demand an explanation.”

“Piss off,” Leigh warned her. It annoyed her even more that Rachel remained unfazed.

“I demand an explanation,” she repeated, sterner this time.

“Ask Leekie!”

“I'm asking _you_ ,” Rachel shot. She watched Leigh take her phone out of her pocket. The hairdresser started texting rapidly, though Rachel couldn't see who she was sending messages to.

“I can't,” Leigh stammered, walking even faster now. “I _can't._ ”

“You can't what?” Rachel asked. She was becoming uncomfortable at having to move so fast, but she managed to keep up with Leigh for the next ten or fifteen minutes, no matter what Leigh tried to shake her off.

“I'll get the pistol out if you don't eff off _now,_ ” she hissed, but Rachel knew better than to take her seriously. Leigh was quite sure she'd never seen Rachel run... _that_ would be funny to witness...

“Seriously, go home,” Leigh added. She broke into a run now, certain Rachel would give up and leave her alone to spare herself the humiliation of running after her twin in those ridiculous high heels...but Rachel surprised her. Leigh would have laughed if she wasn't so annoyed.

“If you have information, you need to tell me,” Rachel insisted.

“Why do you even _care?_ ” Leigh snapped at her.

“Leigh, you've just spent the last half an hour wishing I _did_ care enough; make up your mind. If I'm being lied to-”

“You wouldn't believe it!” Leigh interrupted her. She came to halt in front of Rat's library, stunned Rachel had followed her all the way back. She turned to look at the blonde clone. She wasn't sure she could stay composed. “Rachel...you wouldn't believe it...”

“Try me,” Rachel dared her.

“I can't,” Leigh breathed.

“You _can._ ”

“I can't, because I don't think _I_ even believe it still!” Leigh shouted. “I don't think I want to...fuck's sake,” she trailed off, rubbing her eyes with her hands now. She was surprised when Rachel stepped towards her, placed her hands over Leigh's wrists and pulled them down so she could look Leigh in the eye.

“You're not even making sense now,” Rachel said quietly. She held Leigh gently by the hands. “Your behaviour causes me great concern.”

Leigh wanted to cry. She came dangerously close to letting go, but it didn't feel safe to. More than anything, Leigh was scared for Rachel's reaction. She needed confirmation from her parents about this discovery before she even considered discussing it with Rachel...she wished she'd kept her mouth shut...

Both Leigh and Rachel looked around suddenly to realise Aldous Leekie was watching them from across the street.


	19. Chapter 18

The atmosphere in the library was tense and silent. Despite Leigh being gone nearly an hour and a half, the other clones hadn't left. They'd all packed their bags (Rat choosing to pack a full suitcase rather than just a bag), and Aila had packed Leigh's. They were now waiting in darkness and silence.

Rat had turned off all the lights to give the building the illusion of abandonment. The hacker seemed to have calmed down considerably since Leigh left, and was now sitting besides Katja with her knees pulled up to her chest. Her head was resting on her arms as she absently stared out the window at the darkening sky. If Leigh didn't get back soon, she could be in danger of more than just DYAD.

Everybody jumped when Aila's phone buzzed. The doctor picked it up and read the text displayed on the screen, before glancing at the others and nodding. “Leigh's waiting outside. Let's go.”

Rat stood and stretched before helping Katja up. The German woman opened her mouth to say something, but quickly reached into her pocket and took out a tissue to cough into it instead. Rat frowned but said nothing. She called the dogs over and attached their leashes.

When the fit subsided, Katja tried again to speak. “Vere do vee go now, schwester?” she asked quietly, looking uncertain.

Rat shrugged. “I have no idea,” she replied honestly, before double checking she had everything she needed to take with her. The three clones made their way down the stairs with the dogs.

The air had already turned cold when they made it out into the alleyway and onto the street. Suddenly, Charles snarled lowly. The women soon saw why when they spotted Leekie on the street. He was glaring at Rachel and Leigh.

Rat's eyes widened in horror at the sight of the two DYAD employees she so deeply feared and hated. Why were they here? She felt a strange mix of emotions as her gaze fell on Leekie. A burning desire to hurt him battled an equally strong desire to flee. She unconsciously took a step closer to Katja for comfort.

“Great, what now?” Aila murmured so only Rat and Katja could hear. Charles growled louder, and it wasn't long before he attracted the attention of Leekie. He turned around to watch the group of three, leaving Leigh and Rachel staring in confusion.

“You said he didn't know we were meeting,” Leigh hissed at Rachel, glaring at her now.

Rachel looked momentarily stumped. “And I meant it,” she decided on.

“Why should I believe you?” Leigh asked.

“Leigh,” Rachel began, attempting to take the other clone's hand, but Leigh shook her off angrily.

Leekie, who turned his attention to Rachel again, grinned widely. He clapped his hands together enthusiastically and gestured around at the other clones. “Well, now that we're all here, we can get to the bottom of whatever this is,” he spoke in a cheery tone that made Rat shake with anger. Katja took Rat's hand in her own to keep her calm, while Aila took the brave decision to approach Leekie.

“What do you mean?” she asked carefully.

Leekie simply glanced at the doctor before looking back at Rachel. Rachel stared at him. “Well, well, Rachel,” Leekie addressed her, shaking his head sadly. “I had expected better of you.”

A pause.

“I simply wanted a moment to catch up, Aldous,” Rachel offered boldly. “Is that too much to ask?”

Leekie took a step closer. “It is when it goes against your purpose,” he said evenly.

“My _purpose?_ ” Rachel repeated, momentarily losing her cool. Then, her expression was blank, and her voice was controlled again instantly. “I don't recall there being any rules against talking to our subjects.”

Leekie smiled again. Aila glanced back at Rat and Katja, wondering if they were thinking the same as her. Was Rachel trying to help them? Or were she and Leekie setting up a trap of some kind? Aila thought from the look on Rat's face, the hacker was more inclined to believe the latter. Aila wasn't sure she blamed her.

Leekie then reached for his pocket to pull something out. Leigh was shocked for a moment to recognise her old mobile phone – the phone she had left in her house. Anger hit her. She had been right. Leekie had lied to Rachel.

Leigh turned to look at Rachel, who now looked completely doll-like and lifeless as she stared trying to comprehend what she was seeing. Leekie pressed some buttons on the phone, and then held it up for everyone to see.

“ _You have six voicemail messages,_ ” the automatic voice spoke from Leigh's phone. Leekie had put it on loudspeaker so everyone could hear. “ _Message one..._

_'Leigh, this is Rachel. I think we ought to have a chat. It has been a while since we last spoke, and your recent decisions are…cause for concern. Please return my call when you receive this message.'_

Rat and Katja exchanged confused looks. Aila frowned at stared at Leekie, and then at Rachel. What was this about?

“ _Message two..._

_'Please, Leigh. I have given you all day to return my call. If you are ignoring me purposely, I do understand. This is your little revenge for me avoiding you these last few months. We need to put that aside now. It is urgent you get in touch. I really need to see you.'_

_Message three..._

_'It is one thing for you to ignore my calls, but another thing completely to fail to show up for work. I had not heard until Aldous informed me this evening. Your behaviour is completely unacceptable. You are NOT this petty, Leigh. You have one last chance to return my call, or I shall have men sent to bring you to me personally.'_ ”

Leigh could only watch as Leekie pressed another button on the phone to skip some of the messages. He fixed his eyes on Rachel as he played the final message.

“ _Message six..._

_'This is getting to be beyond a joke. Wherever you are; whatever you are playing at, I really need you to contact me. Is this because of what we discussed the last time we saw each other? If it is…well, perhaps this is what I was afraid of. I should never have revealed anything to you…it wasn’t my place. You have made your point. If it’s an apology you want, I am sorry for avoiding you. If you want an explanation…I cannot give you one. Not like this. I need to see you. Please come home.'_

_End of messages._ ”

Leekie silenced the phone and lowered it. The clones stared around at each other, unsure what to think of what they had just heard. Leigh slowly forced herself to look back at Rachel, struggling to believe the messages she had sent.

“Rachel,” Leekie began sternly, approaching the blonde clone slowly and carefully as though she were a dangerous animal. “You have been obstructing things for DYAD from day one. These messages prove you are the reason Ashleigh discovered what she did. Now, you need to take a moment to think very carefully about what you are going to do next. If you continue to create problems-”

“You'll _what?_ ” Leigh dared him, angry all of a sudden. “What're you gonna do? Have her black-bagged and locked up?”

“Rachel, you are so much better than this,” Leekie continued, deciding to ignore Leigh completely. “You always were and you know it. This... _weakness_ you seem to have, we can fix it. But you need to start taking this seriously.”

Rachel simply continued staring, unable to respond in any other way. Leigh was desperate to know what she was thinking about.

“You _all_ need to start taking it seriously,” Leekie addressed the rest of them now. “This is your last chance to drop all this and return to London willingly. If you continue to fight, you _will_ lose.”

Rat was itching to do something; she fought with herself to stay put or shout or cause harm to Leekie in any way she could, and Rachel too for that matter. She wasn't sure she was convinced. It _had_ to be a trap of some kind, and she was certain any minute now they'd be surrounded by DYAD officials who would come to take them away.

Leekie turned his attention to Aila, the oddly irritating smile back on his face. The doctor watched him warily but held his gaze, unwilling to back down after he'd just blatantly threatened them all. “Well? What do you say? We could get you your old job back, all murder charges gone. It'll be like nothing's changed, and we can put all of this behind us,” he said smoothly.

Aila raised an eyebrow. “Go back with you? If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't be in this mess in the first place. I think I'll stay with this lot. Might be mental, but at least I know I can trust 'em.”

Leekie stared at her for a moment, his face blank, before turning towards the two sisters. Rat sent him a seething glare as she held Katja's hand tightly. The task of keeping calm was becoming harder by the minute. Leekie took a few steps towards them.

“Regina... Katja...” he started.

“ _No,_ ” Katja said bluntly, glaring at him.

Rat glared at Leekie too, though she smirked a bit when both Charles and Bianca barked at him in unison. “So, seems animals _can_ sense evil,” she muttered.

Leekie smirked. “Good to know you're just as clever as ever. Hasn't this gone on long enough, Regina? We can help with your... _condition_. With your talents in computer work, wouldn't it be worth it to have a real life doing what you love?”

“Go fuck a landmine,” Rat spat darkly. “I've seen firsthand how you like to 'help' people.”

Katja's eyes grew wide at Rat's remark, and an appreciative smirk spread across her face in amusement. Leekie didn't find it funny. He pulled out another phone, his own this time, and called a number. He held it to his ear, and after a moment, he said, “You know what to do.”

“ _Merde!_ ” Rat whispered. She knew right away what Leekie had done, and she barely had time to turn and drag her dogs and Katja away before the sound of a car speeding around the corner could be heard.

Leekie's car screeched to a halt in front of Katja, missing her by inches, and Charles and Bianca barked and snarled ferociously as the doors flung open and four men stepped out. They wasted no time approaching the clones; Rat and Katja backed away instinctively while Aila turned in a blind panic and ran.

As she passed Leekie, the older man seized the doctor by the arm and pulled her into a tight hold so she could barely move. “Let go of me!” Aila bellowed, trying to thrash as she repeatedly kicked Leekie's legs.

Leigh instantly reached for the pistol in her pocket and aimed it shakily at Leekie, while Rachel remained still, apparently unwilling to do anything but watch the events unfold. As Leekie began dragging Aila over towards the car, Leigh tried to follow. She swore to herself; she couldn't fire the pistol and risk hitting Aila...

It seemed Rat wasn't as hesitant about firing bullets. She too had somehow pulled out her weapon to fire one or two bullets at the feet of four men as a warning to stay back. Stunned, they paused for a moment, but Leekie didn't.

He forced Aila closer to Rat and Katja, so the hacker and the German were trapped between him and the four men, while Aila still struggled in Leekie's grasp. Rat rotated on the spot, switching her aim from Leekie, to the men, and back again. She, like Leigh, worried about shooting Aila if she wasn't careful...

“Let her go!” Leigh demanded, but Leekie ignored her. Completely panicked, Leigh fired at Leekie, but the bullet missed him by inches and bounced off the ground. The gunshots distressed Charles and Bianca. Their growling became more vicious as they felt threatened by the entire situation.

It didn't take long for Charles to pull his way out of Rat's grasp, who stumbled a bit at the dog's sudden movement. Before they knew it, Charles threw himself at Leekie, jumped up, and sank his teeth into Leekie's arm.

A cry of rage and pain echoed throughout the street as the dog tightened his grip and shook Leekie violently. Leekie released Aila at last, who charged towards Katja and Rat.

As the four men moved to seize the women again, Katja ducked and slipped past them to make a beeline for the car. Aila raised her arm and punched one of them square in the nose, causing him to fall back and stumble to the ground.

“Shit,” Aila muttered to herself, shaking her hand. “I'm out of practice...”

The man glared up at her, blood streaming down his face. Katja threw herself into the driver's seat of the car, breathing harshly and feeling sick as she attempted to turn the key and start the engine, but one of the men grabbed her by the collar and pulled her out of the vehicle. Katja swore angrily and loudly in German and fought to get the man off her; she elbowed him in the stomach, and the man responded by throwing Katja to the ground. Katja coughed violently, and the car key skidded across the ground.

Everyone stared at it. Everyone made a move to grab the key at the same time, resulting in more punching, grabbing, and shouting. Leigh raced over to the other clones; she and Rat aiming their weapons at the men, while Leekie roared in pain as he tried to shake off Charles.

“ _Enough._ ”

The word was calm, but loud and threatening enough to stop everyone in their tracks and look around. Rachel was glaring at them all. It seemed they had all forgotten she was there.

Leigh stared at her with wide eyes. Rachel stayed still for a moment before slowly approaching, holding her hand up importantly to instruct the men to do nothing. She gently lowered herself to the ground, picked up the car key, and drew herself to her full height. Calmly, she strolled towards the car, opened the door, and looked around at the other clones.

“ _Go,_ ” she said sternly.

The men stared at her in disbelief, unsure about what to do. They had never disobeyed Rachel Duncan before, but this was far too surreal.

“ _GO,_ ” Rachel said again.

Katja was the first to respond. She pulled herself to her feet, still coughing, and climbed into the car. It was enough to make Rat charge after her, and Charles finally let go of Leekie to follow his owner. Leekie got up instantly and staggered towards the other clones, causing Leigh and Aila to move at last.

“ _STOP THEM!_ ” Leekie commanded, but the men froze, looking stupid. They were clearly torn about what to do and who to obey.

Leigh slammed the door shut as she climbed in next to Katja and the dogs while Rat took the driver's seat. The hacker shakily took the car key from Rachel before closing the door, stunned and confused, but having no time to question it.

Before they knew it, Leigh's door was opening again, and Rachel bent down to stare at her. “Move over,” she ordered her twin.

“ _STOP THEM!_ ” Leekie bellowed again, and this time the men took action. They and Leekie rushed to the car; one of them even attempted to grab Rachel, and Leigh budged over quickly and pulled her sister inside before she even had time to question it.

“Come on Rat!” Aila panicked from the passenger's seat next to the hacker.

Rat stalled the car once or twice before bringing the engine to life, and the car of clones raced away before they knew it, screeching as it went.

\--

Everyone was silent as Rat put her foot down and navigated through the darkness. Beside her, Aila couldn't help feeling worried. The hacker had had an anxious and scary last few hours, and she was still shaking and tense as she attempted to control the car. Aila thought about offering to drive instead, but she knew Rat wouldn't even consider stopping so soon to switch drivers. Besides, Rat knew the area better, so Aila stayed quiet and hoped Rat would manage to calm herself down enough to gain better control of the car.

In the back of the vehicle, Katja had ceased her coughing fit and was hugging Bianca for comfort. The usual happy and hyper dog was strangely quiet, only letting out nervous whimpers every so often, while Charles sat between Katja and Leigh, twitching and shaking a bit as he recovered from the ordeal. As much as he wanted to protect his master and those like her, his old body protested at being put through so much action. His muzzle was soaked with Leekie's blood. A few drops of it splashed onto Leigh's knee, but the hairdresser barely paid attention to that.

She stared at Rachel, who was squashed up close to her due to the lack of space in the car. Rachel refused to look at Leigh for a while, but Leigh was certain Rachel knew she was being stared at. They were far too close together for Rachel not to notice it.

“What the hell are you playing at?” Leigh whispered, causing Rachel to turn her head and look at her at last.

“I believe I just spared you all from capture. A little gratitude should be in order, Leigh,” Rachel said evenly, turning her head away again to look back out the car window.

“Yeah but...” Leigh trailed off and frowned, feeling horribly confused. “ _Why_ did you do it? And why are you even here with us?”

Rachel didn't respond, instead turning her attention to the front seat. “My personal recommendation is to find the nearest train depot and depart as soon as possible. I will keep Aldous off of your trail for as long as is in my power to do so.”

Rat harshly pulled off of the main road and stopped the car, glancing back at Rachel. “And just why should we trust that you won't lead them right to us after we leave you? We should just kick you out right here and have you walk back!”

Rachel met her stare, her face expressionless. “And to what end would I have helped you only to aid in your capture, Miss Colbert?”

Rat narrowed her eyes slightly. “It's not exactly like you to help anyone though, is it?” she challenged Rachel quietly.

Rachel remained unfazed. “It's not exactly like _you_ to have accepted a group as your allies, is it?” she replied calmly. “We all occasionally do what is least expected of us in the name of a greater good.”

“Greater good? What the bloody hell are you on about?” Leigh asked, becoming even more confused as she stared at her twin. When Rachel remained silent, Leigh raised an eyebrow. “What, you actually support what we're doing now? What happened to all that shit you were spouting in the bar about not getting involved with the lives of other clones?” she asked flatly.

Rachel turned her head slowly, staring at Leigh intently. The hairdresser struggled not to flinch back at Rachel's blank gaze, refusing to admit it intimidated her even a little bit. After several minutes of silence, Rachel turned her gaze back towards the window.

“I restate; head to the nearest train depot and depart,” the blonde clone said without the slightest trace of emotion.

Leigh just stared at her in disbelief before groaning. “You are so...bloody _infuriating!_ ” she sighed, shaking her head.

“You are rather aggravating yourself,” Rachel responded.

“Yeah well you deserve it!” Leigh complained. “With your friggin'...robot voice and _stupid_ haircut-”

“Rich, Ashleigh, considering yours looks like a twelve year old did it.”

“I resent that,” Leigh hissed, glaring at Rachel intensely now.

“I have to say you've really let yourself go,” Rachel continued. Leigh was sure she saw a tiny smirk appear on Rachel's lips as she spoke. “You're starting to live up to your peasant reputation.”

“Yeah, the reputation _you_ insisted on giving me!”

“Only because you insist on comparing me to android-like beings.”

“It's your own fault for insisting on your robot-bitch look! It's the _hair!_ And that reminds me, you _still_ owe me sixty quid!” Leigh growled.

“Yes, you remind me of this often,” Rachel responded, glancing at Leigh briefly.

“Will you two SHUT UP?!” Rat shrieked, causing Katja, who had started to doze, to jump in surprise. She looked around at the group, now wide awake, but looked far too defeated to say anything. “I am NOT going ANYWHERE if I have to listen to THAT!”

“Whatever,” Leigh grumbled.

Rat mumbled to herself as she tried to start the car again. She stalled a few times once more, struggled to move the car off, and selected the wrong gear in her distressed and angry state. “BLOODY CAR!”

“You need to take the handbrake off,” Rachel said tonelessly.

“THANK YOU, Rachel,” Rat growled bitterly, yanking the handbrake so fiercely Aila worried she would break it.

“Rat,” she began, but Rat glared at her with an almost demonic anger on her face, and Aila fell silent instantly. Rat attempted to move the car, but lost the bite point, and the vehicle stalled again.

“This is getting us nowhere,” Rachel stated. “Somebody else drive.”

“Why don't you just do one if you don't like it?” Rat shouted at her. “Nobody wants you here anyway!”

“I'm afraid you don't have a choice, unless you want to be dragged to London against your will,” Rachel said coolly.

“You're not shittin' well coming with us,” Rat snarled, slamming her hands on the wheel.

“I never said I _was,_ ” Rachel said coolly. “Drive on.”

“I'm _not_ taking orders from _you_ of all people,” Rat spat with fury. She unfastened her seat belt, forced the car door open, and threw herself out of the vehicle. Then she opened the door on Rachel's side and glared at the blonde clone venomously. “Get out.”

“No,” was Rachel's response.

“ _Get out of the car, Duncan!_ ” Rat seethed.

“No,” Rachel said again.

“What if I get the revolver out; will you bloody well move then?” Rat threatened.

Rachel really did roll her eyes this time, surprising Leigh greatly. “Oh please,” Rachel scorned. Leigh began to worry about Rachel not taking the threats of her clones seriously. One of these days, someone was going think nothing of Rachel's high-and-mighty act and _actually_ dare to shoot at her.

“Nobody is shooting anyone,” Aila reasoned as she too unfastened her seat belt. She got out of the car and hurried around to Rat. “Listen. She _did_ just help us, and she _does_ have a point. Why would she help us get away just to set us up and catch us later? What sense does that make?”

“I don't know!” Rat bellowed. She backed away from the car and paced restlessly. “I don't know; she's DYAD! Professional games players, the lot of them! God knows what she's planning!”

“Charmed,” Rachel shot sarcastically. “We are wasting valuable time.”

“ _I'll_ drive,” Aila insisted. She took a few minutes to calm Rat down, and eventually the hacker agreed to swap places with Aila and accept the fact they were stuck with Rachel Duncan for a while. She refused to look back at the blonde clone while Aila drove, but she gave the doctor directions when she was calm enough to focus.

\--

When Aila pulled into the parking lot of the train station, she looked around. The place was fairly deserted in the darkened lot, though it looked bright and busy inside. The clones got out of the car, grabbing their bags. Rat noticed Charles was covered in blood and she shook her head, even though she gave the animal a pat on the head in praise.

“Good boy,” she murmured to him. “C'mon baby, we need to get you cleaned up.” Rat looked around, and noticed a drinking fountain a few meters away, before glancing at the others. “Be right back. I need to clean him off. I don't think it'll look good if we walk in there with a dog covered in blood,” she said before leading the Borzoi over to the fountain.

Katja kept hold of Bianca's leash as the excitable Chow-Chow seemed to be back to normal. She wandered around to sniff at everyone and everything in sight before scurried over to Rachel. Bianca looked up at her, her tail wagging happily.

Rachel looked down at the dog with a look of disdain. She walked briskly away to where Bianca's leash didn't reach. The Chow-Chow whined and stared up at Katja, her tail drooping a bit.

Katja smirked and knelt down to pat her gently. “Do not vorry fluffybum. Zat von ez even more grumpy zan your mummy,” she said, making sure Rachel could hear her.

Rachel glared at Katja but said nothing, standing perfectly still as she impatiently waited to go inside. Rat walked back over after several more minutes. Charles' muzzle and neck were now dripping with water.

Rat nodded to the group. “So what's the plan then?” she questioned, not looking at Rachel.

Rachel fixed her gaze on Leigh. “Do you have the information I gave you in the bar?” she asked dryly. Leigh nodded and fumbled around in her pockets for the piece of paper. “Your parents would like to see you. Go there. You will be safe.”

Leigh swallowed hard while the others exchanged glances.

“That's right,” Aila muttered to herself thoughtfully as she watched Rachel. She remembered Rachel had helped Leigh's parents too. As disturbing as the blonde clone looked at a first glance, Aila wondered if Leigh had been right. She wondered if Rachel was their best hope after all.

“Leoben...” Leigh read off the paper. “That's in...”

“Austria,” Rachel and Rat answered together. They glared at each other, repulsed at their simultaneous response.

“I must remove the car from this area,” Rachel stated firmly. “Sooner rather than later.”

“You can drive? When did you learn to do _that?_ ” Leigh questioned, eyebrows raised.

Rachel stared. “How hopeless do you think I am, Leigh?”

Leigh said nothing. She and Rachel carried on staring for a few moments until Rachel turned swiftly and made her way back to the car. Leigh panicked suddenly, worried Rachel was going to get in and drive away without another word.

“Go sort out tickets and whatever,” Leigh told the others hurriedly as she sped off after Rachel. “I just need a minute.” She didn't wait for their responses. She caught up to Rachel and stepped in front of her. “Rachel...”

“Go _now,_ ” Rachel ordered. “It will do you no good to waste time.”

“I want to know why you're _really_ helping us,” Leigh told her.

Rachel paused. Her eyes narrowed a tiny bit. “And _I_ want to know what Aldous is supposedly keeping from me, so neither of us is getting what we want.”

Leigh groaned tiredly and threw her face into her hands. She rubbed her eyes and sighed, while Rachel stood quite still and waited for her double to compose herself. She looked completely unimpressed at Leigh displaying such emotion. Likewise, Rachel's unfeeling demeanour irritated Leigh.

“Rachel,” Leigh began. She looked her sister in the eye. “Come with us.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Come with us,” Leigh repeated. “I...I can't explain _..._ ah, never mind...you'll understand if you come with us.”

Rachel remained quiet for longer than Leigh was comfortable with. She shifted uncomfortably until Rachel opened her mouth to speak again. “Don't be ridiculous,” she insisted, disapproval clear in her tone.

“You've just friggin' helped us escape,” Leigh tried to reason. “How're you going to get away with _that?_ ”

“Do not concern yourself with that. I can assure you I know what I'm doing.”

“But-”

“I can't go with you, Leigh,” Rachel said with a final tone.

“You're gonna end up trapped by them, Rachel.”

Silence followed. Rachel looked as though she wanted to say something, but she was struggling. She simply shook her head slowly as if to tell Leigh the conversation was over. Leigh clenched her fists tightly before pulling Rachel into a hug.

They were quiet for a moment before Rachel willed herself to respond. “I am quite sure you weren't clingy before you left London. Please remove yourself. This is hideous.”

Leigh laughed loudly. She couldn't help it. She waited for Rachel to return the hug, but the blonde clone did not move. She instead tolerated Leigh holding onto her for a moment, quite sure the hairdresser only held on for so long to provoke an angry reaction from her. Rachel was not going to give Leigh that satisfaction though. She smiled when Leigh finally let go and backed away.

“I don't know if I trust you,” Leigh told her, shaking her head. “I don't know if I ever will.”

“ _Go,_ ” Rachel told her once more.

Leigh sighed and willed herself to walk away at last. She looked back over her shoulder at Rachel as she went. “If you betray us, I'm gonna kick your arse,” she warned.

Then, Leigh was gone, and Rachel stood alone in the parking lot, feeling more torn than she would ever care to admit.

\--

The clones decided to get a train to Zurich and then take another one from there to the next closest city to Austria. The ride was due to be very long and have many stops along the way, but after everything that had happened, the group was glad for a small break.

Leigh silently stared out the window as the hills and mountains rolled by, barely visible in the darkness. Rat worked on her laptop quietly, and the dogs slept on the floor between the clones. Katja was asleep again as well, leaning against the window as she snored lightly.

The private compartment was silent as everybody thought about what had happened. Nobody could get their heads around the fact Rachel had been their way out. It didn't make any sense.

Aila sighed, fed up of the quiet as she spoke, glancing at Leigh. “So we're gonna meet your parents then, eh? Wonder what they'll think about four clones and two dogs showing up on their doorstep.” She grinned to lighten the mood.

“Hell knows,” Leigh muttered tiredly. “I still don't know for sure if my parents are really at this place.”

“You think Rachel lied?” Aila questioned.

Leigh shrugged. “I don't know what her angle is.”

“Yeah...from what I've seen, she's contradicted everything I ever thought about her to be true.”

“Well _I_ don't trust her, not one bit,” Rat growled. She glanced up from her laptop. “Either she's tricking us, or she's stir crazy and doesn't even know what the hell she's _doing_ anymore.”

“Rat,” Aila began, trying to sound stern and unimpressed.

“Rat might have a point though,” Leigh whispered. Aila stared at her. “I don't _know_ Rachel anymore. I'm not sure I ever did.”

“But you care about her,” Aila said. “She cares about you too.”

“Yeah, really showed with how much you two insulted each other on the car ride here,” Rat said sarcastically. Leigh rolled her eyes, but said nothing in response.

“I can't believe she's your _sister_ , though,” Aila whispered. “You and her...you're like fire and ice. Does Rachel even _know?_ ”

“No, and it's gotta stay that way for now,” Leigh mumbled sadly. “I'm gonna ask my parents about it later. I don't know how Rachel will take something like this...”

Everyone was silent for a while. Rat's typing was the only sound in the compartment, along with the occasional snore from Katja.

“Maybe in a few days we can check up on Janika again while we're here,” Aila suggested to change the subject. “We'll just see how everything plays out first...”

“Yeah,” Leigh agreed, though she wasn't really listening and didn't register what Aila was saying. Rachel was still on her mind.


	20. Chapter 19

The trip to Leoben was one of the longest and dullest the group had been made to endure yet, but eventually they found themselves staring up a large hill just outside the Austrian town. They'd gotten a bus from the airport to this spot, and now the directions Leigh had been given instructed them to walk the rest of the way.

“Bloody perfect...” Rat muttered, looking between her suitcase and her dogs.

“Hopefully it won't be too far. I mean, they've gotta have access to the town to get supplies and stuff, right?” Aila said, looking around. The prospect of a walk uphill didn't bother her in the slightest. She'd missed getting daily physical exercise.

“I just hope there's something there after all of this,” Leigh sighed, looking tired and irritable. She was trying not to get her hopes up too high in case Rachel had lied.

“Only one way to find out though, isn't there?” Aila said, positive as always.

Without another word, the group began their walk, Aila and Katja taking the dogs' leashes to help Rat, who was having a bit of a fight dragging her case up the rocky hill. After what seemed like hours, they finally reached the top and looked around, not seeing anything that particularly stood out as a shelter from DYAD. After a few minutes though, Aila spotted smoke rising up in the distance. It came from an area cloaked in trees and branches, well out of view. It soon became apparent there was a decent-sized log cabin hidden away in the foliage.

“Woah...” Aila remarked at the structure. “Nice hiding place...let's hope this is it.” She slowly approached the door.

Leigh felt nervously suddenly at the prospect of seeing her parents again. How would they react? Would they be angry at Leigh for what she had started? What if they were living in fear? What if she had ruined their lives?

“Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit,” she chanted as she hurried to catch up with Aila. Rat glared furiously at Leigh, but shook her head, deciding she was too tired to tell her to shut up and risk starting an argument.

“Vat do vee do if your parents are not here? If robot voman set a trap like Rat said?”

“Dunno,” Leigh shrugged. “Run like hell and smack Rachel later.”

Aila turned back and reached out her arm to beckon Leigh forward. She gave the hairdresser a stern look, telling her if anyone should knock, it should be her. “Go on,” she urged Leigh.

“Yeah...shit,” Leigh whispered. She joined Aila, while Rat and Katja hung back a bit with the dogs. Leigh raised her hand, hesitated, and knocked three times on the door.

Nothing happened for a few minutes. Leigh knocked again. Still no response.

“OK they're not here; let's go,” Leigh blurted out, turning abruptly to leave, but Katja stood in front of her looking unimpressed.

“Vee did not come all zis vay to give up so quickly,” she said bossily. “Vee vill break in.”

“We'll do _no_ such thing!” Aila scolded the German.

“Vee cannot stand out here all day either, and I am sick of trains. I vill go and look zrough zee vindows and see if I can spot Mr and Mrs Leigh.”

Katja moved quickly, earning alarmed stares from the others. At that moment, however, the front door creaked open. Aila, who was still standing by the door, turned sharply and jumped back in surprise to see a large blue eye staring fearfully through the crack.

It belonged to an older woman with long blonde hair and faint wrinkles on her face. Aila barely had time to take her in before the woman shrieked in surprise, flung the door open and pulled Aila into a tight hug, clearly overjoyed. Aila gave a girly scream and froze on the spot, her eyes huge at the unexpected contact. Leigh could only watch in dumbfounded shock as her mother clung to Aila tightly.

“Oh my God, Ashleigh! We've been worried sick!” Janet shouted, almost sobbing now.

Aila took the first chance she got to jump back, stumbling a bit as she trembled. “U-Uh wrong clone, ma'am...” she stuttered.

Leigh was full on glaring now, deeply offended. “MUM! DO YOU REALLY THINK I'D BE WEARING _PINK_ EVEN IF I WAS UNDERCOVER?!” she demanded sharply.

Janet looked between the two with wide eyes, apparently at a loss for words, though one look at Leigh's annoyed face told her she had indeed made a mistake. “A-Ashleigh? Oh my, I'm so sorry! I didn't recognise you with the hair!” Janet was clearly a bit embarrassed as she looked at Aila, who was now giving an awkward smile and a wave.

“Hallo!” Katja said, poking her head out from around the corner.

Janet's eyes wandered from Leigh, to Aila, to Katja, and finally to Rat, who was shaking her head a bit as she watched the whole scene play out. Janet had never seen so many clones in one place before and wasn't entirely sure what to make of them and the two dogs, who were wandering around Rat as far as their leashes would allow.

“So do I get a hug or what?” Leigh grumbled as she crossed her arms, still looking annoyed. Janet could see at this point it was a mask for anxiousness. Without a word, she stepped forward and hugged her daughter tightly.

Leigh let out a huge sigh of relief. For reasons she still wasn't sure of, Rachel had been true to her word.

\--

The clones spent the next hour or so settling into the house Janet and Spencer had been hiding in. Leigh introduced them all to her mother, who welcomed them warmly without hesitation. She invited them to sit down, made them all drinks, and then stood before them all in front of the fireplace, looking quite concerned.

“Where's Dad?” Leigh asked.

“He popped into town,” Janet explained. “We're out of milk.”

“Seriously?” Leigh asked her mother with raised eyebrows. “He's risking his neck and going out just for _milk?_ ”

“Oh Ashleigh, don't be so silly,” Janet chuckled, dismissing Leigh's comment with a wave of her hand. “Who's going to find us here?”

“ _We_ did!” Leigh challenged her. “And that's because _RACHEL_ told me where to find you! How the hell did she even know anyway?!”

“Yes...Rachel told us you would come.”

Everyone stared at her.

“Excuse me?” Rat let slip before she could stop herself. Janet glanced at her.

“You and Rachel are in regular contact?” Leigh asked in disbelief.

“Well she _did_ help us escape DYAD,” Janet tried to reason. “We wanted some answers, so we contacted her once felt we were safe. She said she wanted to help us find you.”

“And you believed her?” Leigh panicked.

Rat fidgeted a bit. She felt as though Leigh had a point...just because Rachel helped them this time didn't mean she wouldn't decide to rat them out later on. She could easily bring DYAD to this place or have the Callinghams tracked if she was in regular contact with them...

“Ashleigh, please, she sent you here, didn't she? Besides, what good is tea without milk?”

“Mum, are you bloody serious?” Leigh whined.

“Leigh, you cannot talk. You cannot get zrough zee day vithout tea,” Katja commented smoothly.

Janet cackled loudly. “Oh yes, that's Ashleigh for you.”

“And beer these days too,” Aila piped up.

Leigh stared at her. “Aila!”

“Beer?” Janet repeated, eyebrows raised. “Last I heard, it was wine-”

“Mum!”

“-in particular, wine she and Rachel used to steal together in their teenage years-”

“ _MUM!_ ” Leigh groaned.

“What?” Janet asked innocently while the clones stared at Leigh in disbelief. “I remember how _drunk_ you both used to get. I'd never seen you and Rachel getting on so _well_. I seem to recall Rachel-”

Aila couldn't help herself and giggled at the mental image of a teenage Leigh stealing wine and getting wasted, earning a glare and a shove from Leigh. “You hush!” she snapped. Aila just grinned at her. “Mum, nobody wants to hear about my teenage years!” Leigh shrieked, pulling at her hair now. “We have more important things to discuss!”

“Yes, yes, I know that. Your father should be home soon, anyway,” Janet said with a shrug. “Now then...I _would_ like a proper explanation for all that is going on-”

“Yeah, me too,” Leigh grumbled.

“-but we ought to wait for your father to get back. Oh, he'll be so pleased to see you! We really were worried sick...”

Leigh folded her arms, shrugged, and stared at the ground. Twenty minutes later, the sounds of the front door opening could be heard. A man with graying hair walked into the room without looking up, rather reading something on a piece of paper.

“Honey, they didn't have the same brand of yogurt we usually get, so I had to-” he broke off as he finally looked up, his eyes widening in stunned shock at the room full of clones.

Leigh raised an eyebrow at how long it took him to notice them. “Wow, you haven't changed a bit, Dad...” she said dryly.

Spencer dropped the bag he was holding and grinned widely. He wasted no time rushing over to envelope Leigh in a tight hug, obviously ecstatic to see her. Aila smirked slightly, glad Leigh had gotten the proper attention first this time.

Leigh again introduced each of the other clones. Spencer greeted them and then went to put the groceries away, before quickly returning to the living room, sitting beside his wife.

Leigh sighed quietly to herself and sat down beside Aila. The room fell into silence once more as the hairdresser gathered her thoughts before speaking.

“Rachel said you would be coming,” Spencer spoke up before Leigh could begin.

“Yeah,” she nodded at her father. “Mum already said. I'm not happy about it.”

“Why not?” Janet asked. “You and Rachel have never had issues before.”

“I wasn't wanted by DYAD before,” Leigh reasoned, eyebrows raised. “I've fucked things up for them, haven't I?”

“Language!” Janet and Spencer barked, causing Leigh to flinch. Katja snorted in amusement and Rat and Aila just stared.

“Why don't you tell us about that?” Spencer asked his daughter. “You vanished without a word, Ashleigh, and we were all worried about you. Even Doctor Leekie-”

“Don't talk to me about Leekie,” Leigh snarled. “He locked you up at DYAD, remember?”

“It's not as though he threw us in a cell or anything, Ashleigh,” Janet sighed.

“He was going to use you to bait me!” Leigh insisted. “I wouldn't put it past the creep to have hurt you if he felt he had no choice! Rachel obviously thought so too, or she wouldn't have left that door open for you to leg it!”

“How did you know that?” Spencer asked.

“Never mind that,” Leigh snapped.

“But Ashleigh, how can you not trust Rachel after she did that?” Janet asked.

Leigh shrugged. “I don't know what I think of Rachel anymore! I don't think she even knows what she wants herself!”

“So why _did_ you cause all of this?” Spencer questioned again. “I think you owe us an explanation.”

Leigh sighed. Her father was right. His life and Janet's had been turned upside down because of Leigh's actions, and if she wanted to know the truth about her and Rachel, she knew she had some explaining to do first.

So, at long last, Leigh told her parents the truth they had been waiting for. She told them what Rachel revealed to her about the mystery illness all those months ago, how Leigh applied for a position at DYAD to try and find out more information, how she learned someone was killing off the subjects, and how she couldn't ignore it like DYAD seemed to be doing. She explained why she had to go without a word; she was scared of being tracked, of being stopped by Leekie for potentially ruining things...how she didn't know what Rachel was capable of if she decided her loyalties lay with DYAD...

Rat, Katja and Aila listened carefully as Leigh talked. They knew all of this already, but they hadn't heard Leigh talk about it in such detail until now. It was strange for them seeing the looks on Janet and Spencer's faces, especially when Leigh told them about Aryanna's death. Leigh's parents couldn't be blamed for worrying.

“I think it's madness,” Spencer said, shaking his head. “I understand the need to do something, but it's not your job. Why couldn't someone else handle this?”

“Because nobody was _going_ to!” Leigh said tiredly. “DYAD...they were more concerned about the subjects becoming self aware, and that's not right, is it?”

“And you're all OK with this?” Janet questioned, looking around at the other clones. “You're OK with putting yourselves in constant danger because DYAD refuse to do their job? What about your families? They must be worried _sick._ ”

Rat and Aila froze at this comment, neither willing to say anything in response. Katja shifted,  shrugged, and looked up at Janet. “My family back in Germany, zey are helping. Of course zey are vorried, but...” she trailed off with another shrug.

Leigh sighed. “Mum...listen. I can't explain it. I thought it was crazy myself. I couldn't understand why I felt so...strongly about going off and doing all of this. Rachel said it was insane, and she was right, but I...it's instinctive. I look at these girls, and I see myself. I can't abandon them. I know it's the same for them, too.” She looked around at the others briefly, who were now watching Leigh intently. “Katja's family understand that.”

Janet and Spencer frowned and glanced at each other worriedly, and Leigh guessed they were worrying for her safety. She knew that the chance of getting killed herself was a very real one, but she wasn't willing to be swayed now she'd started this, wherever it may lead. She truly believed what she said. If she didn't help these girls, nobody would.

Aila spoke up quietly then. “If Leigh hadn't done what she did when she did it, I would have died four months ago. The very day we met was the day I was attacked by whoever's killing us. Leigh saved my life. Whether it's dangerous or not, she's right. Nobody else was going to step in, and no body else is going to besides us. We all understand the risks, but...I believe it's worth it to try.”

“Aila...” Leigh said, glancing at the doctor. She never really stopped to appreciate the Scottish clone's support, though here was the proof that what she was doing _was_ worth it.

Aila looked at her and smirked, sticking her tongue out at her. “Don't tell me you're gonna get all soppy on me now. That ain't like you,” she teased lightly.

Leigh shook her head, turning back to her parents as her expression became serious. She took a deep breath, before coming right out with what she needed to know before she lost her nerve. “I know Rachel's my sister. Tell me how that happened.”

Silence fell around them for a moment while Leigh waited. Janet shifted a bit. “I'd like to know how you were made aware of that,” she said in a small voice.

Leigh resisted the urge to glance in Rat's direction, though she was fully aware of the hacker gazing at her intensely. She wasn't willing to give anything away about Rat and the things she was able to do for the time being. It wasn't Leigh's place.

“That's not important,” the hairdresser managed. Her throat felt tight suddenly. “But it _is_ true, then? Rachel's my twin.”

Janet and Spencer looked at each other, looking worried again now. Leigh was sure they turned a shade paler.

“How much do you know about it?” Spencer asked.

Leigh paused. “Not much. Just that you handed her over to the Duncans because of a last minute change of plans.”

There was no denying it now. Both the parents looked incredibly guilty. Katja and Aila looked at each other at the same time, both apparently uncomfortable. “Should we...would you rather we left?” Aila began, thinking the family needed privacy to discuss it.

“No,” Leigh said. “It's fine.”

Janet and Spencer frowned. They would rather talk to their daughter about this in private, but they weren't going to argue about it. “It was out of our control,” Janet began unsteadily. “I suppose we should start at the beginning.”

“Please do,” Leigh said.

“We'd been struggling to have children for years before you and Rachel came along,” Janet explained in a slow voice. “But we wanted to be parents enough that when DYAD approached us, we decided to accept their offer. They told us about this enormous experiment, and we were sworn to secrecy. We couldn't believe it – human clones.

“Before I got pregnant, your father and I were introduced to the Duncans. They were scientists, as you know. They _worked_ for DYAD; they were directly involved in the experiment. Doctor Leekie explained that us and the Duncans would receive one child each. Both children would be raised with the knowledge that they were human clones, but their circumstances would still be different.”

“Meaning one raised as a normal kid while the other was groomed to be a robot-bitch,” Leigh muttered darkly.

Janet stared at her daughter, clearly disapproving of such language and attitude, but she didn't have the heart to express it. “Yes, exactly,” she said instead, nodding. “You would be the only self-aware clones in the entire experiment.”

“Did you know there were others? Other clones?”

“Yes,” Spencer admitted. “We knew there were others around the world. Other clones who knew nothing about it.” He couldn't help looking around at Aila, Katja and Rat. Leigh suddenly understood why her parents hadn't been shocked to see them all.

“See, I never knew there were others until Rachel told me a while back,” Leigh whispered.

“You weren't supposed to know,” Spencer said gently. “That was one of the differences between you and Rachel. She's part of DYAD itself. Of course she's aware of all they stand for.”

“Yeah,” Leigh agreed, shrugging. “So what happened? Why'd you give her up?”

“Well, unlike me, Susan Duncan did not carry her child herself,” Janet told her. “Instead, she and Ethan paid a surrogate mother to carry their child for them. The child would be handed over when she was born, but then things went wrong.”

“The surrogate mother suddenly vanished without a trace,” Spencer said. Leigh watched him carefully. “Nobody is really sure why. Perhaps she hadn't thought it through properly, and suddenly the idea of giving up the child got to her...perhaps she wanted the child for herself...”

“So she did a runner?” Leigh asked. “And DYAD never found her?”

“They've been searching for her for _years_ ,” Janet said, her voice squeaking a bit at the memory coming back to her. “Nobody knows where she is or what became of the clone child she carried. Leekie was furious.”

“That he was,” Spencer agreed. “But then, in his opinion, a miracle happened. It turned out we were expecting twins. While I'm sure Leekie's still determined to find the lost clone, he...was satisfied, I suppose, that the experiment could continue as originally planned.”

“So they made you give Rachel to the Duncans instead,” Leigh whispered. “And you _agreed_.”

“We had no choice, Ashleigh,” Janet insisted. She was looking very upset now. “We'd signed all sorts of documents and things agreeing to DYAD's terms; there was nothing we could have done.”

“You could have ran,” Leigh suggested.

“What kind of life would that have been for the two of you?” Spencer asked. “We knew Rachel would be cared for. We still had one child. It was enough. It was enough when we thought we'd never be blessed with one at all.”

Leigh felt sick. She couldn't get her head around it. She couldn't imagine giving up a child so easily. “Rachel wasn't cared for though, was she?” she asked, voice shaking now. “Not properly. Look what they've _done_ to her...”

“Susan and Ethan _loved_ her; you know that,” Janet said. “Nobody could have predicted what happened to them! After they died, we offered to take Rachel in...”

“But Doctor Leekie decided to raise her himself. He would not even discuss it with us. He still allowed the two of you to interact, of course, which we're both very grateful for...but she was always going to be groomed for DYAD.”

“And that makes me so angry!” Leigh shouted now. “She's so messed up! All she does is hate and judge and demand; she doesn't even _know_ how scared she is to let anyone in! _All_ this time she was my sister, and we never had a proper chance to be together! I want to love her so much, and I just...” she trailed off, buried her face in her hands, and fought to hold back tears.

Janet stood up and crossed the room to sit next to her daughter. She put an arm around her. “You still can,” she said carefully.

“How?” Leigh demanded. She looked up abruptly at her mother. “How, after what Leekie's done to her? I don't think she even _wants_ help...if she does, she doesn't know how to accept it...”

“She _cares_ ,” Janet insisted. “If she didn't, she wouldn't have helped us.”

“She doesn't know, does she?”

“No,” Janet said quickly. “Neither of you were to find out.”

“I'd still love to know how you _did_ though,” Spencer muttered.

Leigh said nothing. She stared at the floor for a while, forgetting the other clones were there. “I don't know how she'd take something like this. Can I just ask one thing?”

“Go on,” Spencer urged her.

“Why Rachel? Why did she get handed over and not me?”

There was a pause.

“There was no real reason, really,” Spencer said. “You were born first. They simply allowed us to keep you, while they took the second child. That's really all there is to it.”

Leigh swallowed hard. “Who named her?”

“Susan and Ethan did,” Janet said. She had tears in her eyes now. “They...changed her birthday, too. Made out she was born three weeks later than you. I suppose they felt they had to.”

Leigh sighed and closed her eyes. “You told me originally that she was my twin...right? Am I remembering right, or am I making that up?” she asked numbly.

“No, that's right,” Janet sighed. “Leekie was so _angry_ with us for that, and now you know why. We weren't supposed to tell you that, but we thought it'd be easier for you to understand over the concept of human clones. You were so young...so confused...”

Leigh bit her lip hard, sighing. She'd heard enough for now. Without a word, the hairdresser stood and walked from the room.

\--

Janet and Spencer agreed to allow the clones to live with them for as long as they needed to, though there weren't enough rooms in the house to accommodate everybody immediately. For that night, most of them would have to sleep on sofas or in chairs until they could buy extra beds and more supplies in the morning.

Leigh hadn't been down from her chosen room since she'd left earlier, and while most of them agreed to give her space, Aila still wanted to check up on her, just as she had when Katja was upset after meeting Lucas. The doctor climbed the stairs slowly with a fresh cup of tea, making her way towards where she'd been told Leigh was staying. Knocking quietly, she opened the door to find Leigh sitting on the sofa she'd be sleeping on, looking out the window in silence.

“Hey. Can I come in?” Aila asked with a soft smile.

Leigh glanced over and frowned, but nodded. “Hey...”

Stepping into the room and closing the door behind her, Aila made her way over to the sofa and sat down. She offered Leigh the cup. “Tea?”

“Cheers,” Leigh said, offering a weak smile as she took the cup. She realised she hadn't had any tea at all in the last few days. “I'm OK, really. Just trying to let it sink in before I decide what to do next.”

  
“At least you have some answers now,” Aila said.

“Yeah, but I can't help wondering how Rachel doesn't know. She _must_ have access to her own files, and mine. I mean, obviously the bit about us being twins would have been removed, but then how the hell did Rat get that information...”

“She must have been able to dig deeper than Rachel ever could,” Aila offered with a shrug. “You know how clever Rat is.”

“Yeah...true,” Leigh mumbled. She took a sip of warm tea. It was extremely refreshing.

They were both quiet for a while. Leigh finished her tea before Aila spoke again. “Your parents are in regular contact with Rachel,” she said carefully, not looking at Leigh. “You still have a chance to tell her everything.”

Leigh froze for a moment. She frowned and shrugged. “Yeah. I _had_ considered it, but I don't know if it's safe to contact her now. Leekie's bound to be pissed off at her for what she did, and what if he has her calls and things monitored?”

“True,” Aila said. “Well you never know; maybe she'll contact your parents again. If she does, you might have chance to talk to her.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Leigh grumbled. “I have to admit I'm worried about her. I don't know what Leekie's capable of anymore...I've _never_ seen the side of him I saw the other day...”

Aila put a reassuring arm around Leigh, surprising the hairdresser a little. Leigh looked right at her. “Don't ever think for one minute it wasn't worth it,” Aila told her. “I know it's tough. But despite everything, I'm glad be here alive with you lot with the hope of living a normal life one day. I wouldn't have that without you.”

Leigh bit her lip and nodded briefly. She pulled Aila into a proper hug. Aila smiled and hugged her back, content to reassure the hairdresser. She knew when Leigh set out on this journey, she had no idea what she'd set herself up for, and often second-guessed herself and thought it was all for nothing...but the doctor meant what she said. She would stick with Leigh until the end.

\--

A few days after their arrival into Leoben, the clones settled into their new surroundings. They felt guilty for imposing on Janet and Spencer out of the blue, though the two didn't seem all that bothered about the extra company.

One evening, everybody sat around the living room in various places while having dinner, since the dining room table was far too small for all of them to fit. The evening news played quietly on the TV, though nobody paid it much mind since the reports were in German. Janet explained she and Spencer mostly kept it on for background noise.

After she'd finished eating, Janet stood up and glanced down at Leigh, who was slouching on the floor beside Aila. “Ashleigh, when you've finished, come here for a moment. I'd like to show you something.”

Perplexed, Leigh abandoned her unfinished meal and followed her mother right away. Aila glanced down at the plate lying on the floor, resisting the urge to roll her eyes at Leigh's bad manners, but Janet didn't seem too bothered.

“What is it?” Leigh asked when she and Janet moved across the room.

Janet pulled something out of her pocket and handed it to Leigh. It was a small photo album, small enough to sit in the palm of her hand. “Since you know about Rachel now...well...I feel like you should have this.”

Leigh reluctantly opened it up. The first photo was of two new born babies lying together, wrapped up in blankets. Leigh felt a strange gut-wrenching sensation to see it.

“I took that photo the day after you were born. Susan and Ethan came to take Rachel shortly afterwards...but I wanted to capture the final moments you were both mine.”

Leigh nodded sadly. “She didn't have a name when this photo was taken, did she?”

“No,” Janet confirmed. “Neither of you did. It felt wrong to name one child and neglect to name the other, so we waited until they took her...”

“Right...” Leigh responded. She flicked through the album. There were various photos of Leigh and Rachel together throughout their childhood and teenage years. Leigh vaguely remembered both her parents and the Duncans taking photos when the girls interacted. Whether the photos were part of the experiment or for the girls' entertainment only, Leigh wasn't sure. It was still nice to see the pictures, though. It was even amusing to see  an adolescent Rachel smiling at something amusing Leigh must have done in one of them. She wondered how Rachel would react to see it.

“I can't believe I've never seen these before,” Leigh mused.

“Well the album was always at home,” Janet told her, shrugging. “You just never cared to look through our photos.”

“Point taken,” Leigh chuckled. “Well...thanks. And thanks for clearing it up. It'd been doing my head in for a while.”

Janet watched her daughter for a bit. She sighed heavily. “We _were_ gutted about giving her up, you know. It wasn't easy.”

“I know,” Leigh said. “And...I don't blame you. I'm sorry if it felt like I did.”

Janet nodded and hugged her daughter. Leigh felt safe in her arms. It hit her suddenly how much she'd missed her parents, and the guilt at causing them so much worry became overwhelming. If she was certain of one thing, though, it was how much her parents loved her. That had always been obvious.

Aila glanced over at the two, saying nothing. She stretched and looked outside, pleased that it wasn't completely dark yet. After a moment, she stood up and excused herself from the room, bringing her plate into the kitchen to discard what was left on it before making her way towards the door.

Leigh blinked, glancing at her. “Uh...what're you doing?” she asked curiously.

“Just going out for a run,” Aila told her.

“Want some company?” Leigh offered, remembering how much fun they had running around the hills of Appenzell.

Aila hesitated, but then shook her head. “It's fine. I'll be back shortly. It's getting dark, so I'm not gonna go far or be out long. I've just missed getting a bit of exercise.”

Leigh nodded to her. “Alright,” she agreed. It was only natural for Aila to want to run again now they were in a safe area when she'd been unable to for so long. After all, with their luck, they had no clue how long the area would be safe for. She might as well take advantage of it while she could.

\--

The panic and stress the clones had been feeling since their confrontation with Leekie began to ebb away. Days turned into weeks, and everyone was settled and relaxed. Once or twice, Rat mentioned Janika, and insisted on taking the fact they were now in Austria to their advantage to speak with her and let her know they were nearby. Janika was happy to chat, and often got carried away.

“Why is it you lot are always the ones to deal with the dramatic things? Nothing has happened to me so far, apart from the friggin' evil beast kitty trying to take my bat; speaking of which, it sorta disappeared! Maybe it got run over or something; who knows-”

Rat stared with raised eyebrows as Janika rambled away. Once or twice, she attempted to get one of the others to take over and speak to Janika instead, but none of them were keen  on the idea. Janika was certainly a handful, so Rat found herself quickly making excuses to end their calls after making sure the Austrian clone was still safe.

Beth was proving just as difficult to communicate with. “ _Where_ have you all _been_ these last few weeks?” she snapped angrily when Katja decided to give her a call.

“You said not to bother you last time we spoke!” Leigh shot just as irritably at the cop.

“I didn't mean disappear completely! I've been _trying_ to get hold of you!”

“Vhy?” Katja asked.

“Because usually there's always at least ONE of you online on Skype, and your status has been offline for _ages!_ Excuse me for wanting to check you're not dead!”

Katja sighed and held back a cough. It seemed Beth was edgier and more stressed every time they Skyped. Katja thought she'd changed a lot since the first time they spoke to her. She was certainly losing her cool, and the fact she refused to waste time talking about it caused the others concern.

Katja updated Beth on everything that had happened, but this only seemed to worry Beth even more.

“Just stop pissing around and get me those samples so we can put an end to this!”

Beth hung up.

To everyone's great surprise, Janet's laptop received an incoming video call late one evening. The older woman hurried towards it and stared at it in shock.

“It's Rachel!”

“ _What?_ ” everyone gasped.

“Well – before you all came here, she'd been Skyping with us about various things – you know, to update us and such – but after what's just happened, I didn't think it'd be safe for her to...”

“ _Please_ tell me you're not going to answer her,” Rat spoke up, trying to sound as polite as possible. Leigh glanced at her. She could tell Rat was worried about DYAD tracing the call and finding them.

Janet didn't respond, but she answered the call, much to Rat's distress. The disapproving face of Rachel Duncan greeted them on the screen.

“Hello,” she said in her robot voice.

Leigh twitched nervously. “What the hell are you PLAYING AT?” she demanded before her mother could say anything.

“I am simply checking that you all made it there safely. I could not do so immediately upon my return to London, for I had a lot of explaining to do concerning my actions.”

“I'm surprised you're still running things there at all,” Rat grumbled, though the look on her face suggested she wished Rachel had lost all her power.

“I have convinced Aldous I can be trusted, and I intend to stay true to my word,” Rachel spoke firmly. “This will be the last you shall hear from me. Good evening.”

“WAIT!” Leigh shouted. “Don't hang up!”

Rachel glared at her screen, clearly unimpressed at Leigh's yelling. “What is it?”

“Give it to me,” Leigh said, taking the laptop from her mother and running out of the room with it.

“Leigh, stop this nonsense,” Rachel demanded as Leigh set the laptop down.

“Shut up, I need to talk to you. How do you know they're not tracing your calls?”

“They trust me,” Rachel told her.

“After what you did?”

“I told you; I have it under control. The less you know about it, the better.”

Leigh stared. “Right. Well, listen...I...”

“Leigh, this is inappropriate. I shall not engage in this ridiculous video call.”

“But I want-”

“You made your choice to stay away, despite my best efforts to bring you home,” Rachel interrupted her. “Now you must live with it. Do not contact me again, or the consequences may be severe.”

Rachel ended the call immediately, leaving Leigh feeling stung. “Bitch,” she whispered. She was so sure she was ready to tell Rachel everything, but now the chance was gone. With a helpless sigh, Leigh took the laptop back into the living room and handed it to her mother.

She wanted to tell Rachel so badly, but how could she if Rachel didn't want to talk to her? Sighing slightly, the hairdresser flopped down on the sofa, entranced in her own thoughts. If she ever saw Rachel again, she'd just blurt it out full stop, she decided. It seemed like that was the only way she was going to get it done.

Leigh turned her attention to Rat, who was sitting in a chair on her own laptop. “What was it like for you when you found out about Katja?”

Rat glanced up, having not been expecting that at all. She frowned, thinking about it for a moment. “Well...it was weird. Surreal, even. Here I'd just lost who I thought was my only sister just weeks before, and then I found out I had another sister who I'd never heard of in Germany. It was a lot to take in. After the shock of it wore off though, I do remember being really angry that she'd been kept a secret from us all those years. Also wasn't pleased about the German part.” She gave a slight smirk at her own words.

Leigh raised an eyebrow, baffled. “Why?” she asked. The hacker didn't particularly strike her as being someone who had anything against Germans.

“Because Ratty trying to speak German is a _horror show_ ,” Katja said, grinning widely.

“Hush you,” Rat scorned as she poked Katja in the arm with her foot. She tried to look annoyed, even though she knew what Katja said was absolutely true. She turned her attention back to Leigh. “Yeah...German was my third language at school, and well...it didn't exactly stick with me. At _all_. Always said I'd never have a use for it anyways, so it didn't matter...and then _that_ happened.”

Katja covered her mouth with one hand to try to stifle her giggling. “Ja...ven she first contacted me...it vas _bad_. Funny to zink of now zough.”

“Yeah, well your French sucks just as badly, so shut up, ya pain,” Rat retorted, smirking. Katja just grinned and stuck her tongue out at her sister, who surprisingly returned the gesture.

Janet watched the clones curiously as she closed down her laptop, unable to conceal a smile. It was interesting and surreal seeing them interact.

Leigh grinned widely. She was surprised to see Rat grinning back rather than taking offense to Katja's remarks. “I was _supposed_ to learn German as an extra language,” Leigh said thoughtfully. “Rachel tried to force me to do it with her, but I told her to sod off because I knew I'd be shit at it. I was annoyed at myself too at the thought of meeting Katja. Thank God she can speak English.”

Rat's grin grew even bigger and she raised her eyebrows. “You mean we _actually_ have something in common?” she shot at Leigh, who shook her head and rolled her eyes.

“Who vould have zought it?” Katja added. “It ez not my fault neither of you speak good German. I can't believe you vere both annoyed at me.”

Leigh made a move to grab a cushion and hit Katja with it, but she thought better of it. Katja was tough, but she was also sick, and Leigh thought it would be wrong. “I never said I was annoyed at _you,_ you spazzcase,” she said instead. “Honestly, Rat and Rachel are the only two people who manage to piss me off.”

Rat let out a loud, hollow laugh, and Leigh couldn't help smiling. “Charming!” Rat teased.

“As if I don't piss you off too,” Leigh said boldly.

“Never said you didn't, Callingham,” Rat said smoothly.

“Are you two actually managing to have a _laugh?_ ” spoke a Scottish voice from somewhere behind them. Aila shifted into view, looking stunned and amused. “Did you suffer a head injury or something?”

“Very funny doc,” Rat shot at her.

“You all may as _well_ have been sisters,” Janet spoke up as she crossed the room to join them. They all looked around at her in surprise. Rat and Leigh stared at each other, apparently both repulsed at the idea of being raised together. “What?” Janet exclaimed. “I suppose it's a genetic thing or something, the things you all come out with. It's funny to watch. Anyway, I'm going to make a start on dinner.”

“I'll do it,” Aila said quickly.

Janet stared at her, surprised. “You don't have to do that, dear,” she insisted.

“No, no, I want to be useful,” Aila told her. “You've done enough – and I don't mind...”

Aila turned quickly and headed for the kitchen area, leaving the others to stare after her curiously. Katja was the last to turn her attention away from her, and she frowned subtly to herself when she finally did.


	21. Chapter 20

All was quiet in Leoben for a while. Leigh was enjoying the company of her parents, and she often found herself forgetting about the threat of Helena and DYAD, especially when beer became involved. The other clones seemed more settled than Leigh had ever seen them too, but Aila had made herself busier than usual.

The doctor insisted on helping with any chores, going out to buy food and supplies, and taking over from Rat and Katja when they made calls to Beth and Janika. When she wasn't doing that, she was reading up on news from England about the murder of her monitor and how the police were still after her. When she wasn't doing _that,_ she was researching Danielle, reading about her latest public appearances and ice skating events, and finding out where she was next expected to be.

“And vhen she is not doing _that_ , she is fussing over me or going out running around,” Katja told Leigh and Rat bluntly one evening after Leigh's parents decided to get an early night. “She ez turning into zee mother.”

“She always _was_ the mother,” Leigh muttered.

“More so zan usual,” Katja commented.

“She's just doing her job Katja, and I wish you'd let her!” Rat snapped at her sister. “She knows best when it comes to boosting your general health-”

“But she ez _obsessive_ and only seems to stop moving ven it's sleepy time, and zen gets right back at it zee next day,” Katja grunted. “Something ez not right.”

“Have you thought to _ask_ her?” Rat said dryly, lightly petting Bianca, who was curled up between her and Katja.

“Ja, but she alvays brushes me off vith excuses of being tired or busy...does zis not seem _off_ to you? Ven does doctor _ever_ just brush someone off? And ven has she ever tried so hard to keep busy zat she never has time for anyone anymore?” Katja pointed out.

Leigh frowned. She had to admit it had been awhile since Aila spent time with the rest of them, and Katja did have a point that it wasn't really like her to just brush people off, even if she was doing something.

“I can try talking to her,” Leigh offered with a shrug, standing up and stretching. She had no idea what she was planning on saying when she located the doctor, who was in another room on Janet's laptop. Aila didn't seem to notice Leigh's presence immediately, seemingly absorbed in what she was doing.

“Hey. What're up to?” Leigh asked, walking over to sit beside her.

Aila glanced up and smiled. “Oh hi, Leigh. I was just trying to figure something out,” she said, clicking out of a Google tab before Leigh could see what she was reading about. To her confused look, Aila explained, “I was just curious how someone like Danielle could be so famous yet not be recognised by other clones across Europe and Asia. It doesn't make any sense to me, but I can't really see how they're covering it up, and Google's not being helpful.”

“Ah,” Leigh nodded. She'd wondered about that herself as well. “Maybe if anyone notices the similarities, they're told they're just seeing things? It wouldn't surprise me if DYAD made clones think that to make sure they didn't try to see her in person. That, and I think Danielle's the only clone in France. I'm not sure she's globally famous. _I'd_ certainly never heard of her before I found her file, anyway, so it's unlikely other clones in the world would unless they're into the ice skating tournaments.”

Aila nodded. “Yeah that's a point. That'd be the easiest way to handle it,” she agreed, thinking about it. The doctor stood and stretched, glancing down at Leigh again. “Anyway, did ya need something, or..?”

Leigh shrugged, smiling. “Not really. Just...wanted to see you. Feels like it's been a while since we talked.”

Aila smirked. “We talk every day, ya silly arse.” Stretching again, the doctor made her way over to the small inflatable bed lying on the floor. Instead of going through the hassle of getting real beds in, the family opted for portable inflatable ones to scatter in rooms throughout the house.

Leigh raised an eyebrow. “Heading to bed already? It's only eight.”

Aila smiled and shrugged. “I'm tired, but we can still talk for a bit if ya like? Just let me get settled in first.”

Leigh frowned and shook her head. “If you're tired, I'll let you sleep...night...” she said, making her way out of the room again.

“Alright, see you in the morning,” Aila replied with a short wave as she watched Leigh leave.

Leigh pulled a face to herself and paused outside the room. Then she made her way back to the other clones.

“Vell?”

“Yeah, I think you're right, Katja,” the hairdresser muttered as she flopped down next to Charles. The dog wagged his tail and rested his head in Leigh's lap. “Went straight for the bed pretty much as soon as I went in. She didn't _look_ particularly tired, but...”

“I vill talk to her tomorrow if zis carries on,” Katja said stubbornly. “Now, someone go fetch my cookies from zee kitchen. It has been a vile.”

\--

Aila was the first to wake up the next morning. The house was silent as she crept through it to make herself something to eat. Weak daylight shone through the crack in the living room curtains when she pushed them aside to take in the beginning of the day. It looked like it would be bright out, and she hoped it would stay that way.

Aila turned and crossed the room to the kitchen, tutting in disapproval at Katja's empty cookie bags lying abandoned on the coffee table. A few crumbs were scattered. Aila made a mental note to clean the mess up before Janet and Spencer awoke. As the doctor found the kitchen, boiled the kettle, and looked for breakfast, thoughts of leaving the place entered her head.

Beth had a point. They still needed to get Danielle's samples, and Aila was starting to wonder if they were wasting time by simply staying put. Maybe it was time to take a risk and just confront the French clone already.

“ _Or maybe I just want out of this place,_ ” she thought to herself, but she snapped herself out of it instantly and shook her head. Janet and Spencer had made them all feel welcome, and everyone was happier than they had been since they started their journey. And yet, Aila felt restless.

She looked up at the sound of a door closing behind her. A sleepy Katja shuffled into view, yawning.

“What are you doing up so early?” Aila asked.

“Bianca slept in my room and voke me up vith smelly farts. I vill take her out for toilet.”

Aila stared, bewildered for a moment, while Katja searched for Bianca's leash. Seconds later, the hyper dog scurried into the kitchen, wagging her tail happily to greet Aila.

“I'll take her out,” Aila offered. “Go back to bed.”

“I can manage taking doggy outside for two minutes, Aila,” Katja said sternly. In her sleepy state, she came across harsher than she intended, causing Aila to step back and raise her eyebrows. “I am not dead yet.”

“OK then,” Aila said with a shrug. She forgot about breakfast and instead busied herself with finding a dustpan and brush to clean up the mess in the living room.

Katja frowned and followed her. “Vat ez it vith you lately?” she asked bluntly.

Aila glanced back over her shoulder as she worked. “Eh?”

“You are not yourself.”

“Of course I am,” Aila tried to assure her. “Though I'd take Bianca out sooner rather than later if I were you, unless you want to be cleaning up doggy doodoo in here.”

Katja made a face at that, and quickly made her way to the door with the hyper Chow-Chow. Aila watched her leave, and then proceeded to finish cleaning the mess in the living room before returning to the kitchen. She made herself a small batch of scrambled eggs with cheese, along with some toast and a glass of milk.

Katja returned with Bianca just a few minutes after Aila sat down on the sofa and turned on the TV. She kept the volume low as she turned on the English subtitles, flipping through channels until she found an episode of a drama she often watched back home. She giggled a bit at the characters having a German dub rather than their real English voices.

It only took a few minutes to notice Katja had sat down on a chair nearby and was staring at her. Aila glanced at her and blinked. “Uh...what?” she asked, slightly unnerved by the look on the German clone's face. It may have been the fact she was still tired, but Katja's eyes seemed strangely dark and serious in the dim light of the room.

“Are you sick like I am?” she asked bluntly.

Aila's eyebrows shot up in stunned shock, having not expected that in the slightest. “ _What?!_ No, of course not! Why would you think that?”

Katja continued to stare at her. “Ven I started to become sick, I vanted to hide it, and did so by keeping myself busy and not interacting vith you all as much, denying anything vas vrong ven asked. Vee have all noticed your odd behaviour lately, Aila. You do not vant to be spending time vith anyone and are always doing somezing to make excuses not to hang out vith us over the past veeks. So I ask again, and I expect _honesty_. Are. You. Sick?”

“No! Honestly, that's not it at _all_ ,” Aila insisted, feeling both stunned and guilty that the clones were thinking along those lines.

“Zen vat _ez_ it, because vee are vorried about you. You are not yourself lately, as much as you try to be hiding it. Brushing us off vill not vork anymore,” Katja told her, her tone and face softening slightly as she spoke. “I vant zee _truth_...haven't vee earned zat much by now?”

Aila frowned and fell silent before setting her plate aside. She knew Katja was right. They deserved to know what was going on, but she felt stupid and shallow even thinking of how to phrase her thoughts into words. Katja knew by the conflicted look on her face that she'd finally gotten through to the Scottish clone, and she allowed the doctor to work through her thoughts and speak in her own time.

Aila sighed and closed her eyes. “I don't even know how to explain...honestly, I feel proper daft about this, but...yeah, you're right. I haven't been feeling well the past few weeks. Emotionally, not physically,” she added quickly. “Physically, I'm fine. I swear.”

Katja nodded, deciding to believe her, though she said nothing and waited for the doctor to explain.

Aila leaned back, absently looking up at the ceiling. “Do you remember when I told you what life was like for me growing up? Being shunted between orphanages and temporary families and the like?”

Katja nodded. “Ja, and zen ended up at bad place at zirteen.”

Aila nodded. “Yeah...God, this is gonna sound so shallow, and I feel so _stupid_ even thinking like this, but...being here with Leigh's parents...seeing how they are with her...they're exactly the type of parents I always dreamed of and hoped would come along...but they never did...I don't know... just...it _bugs_ me and I _KNOW_ it shouldn't. I can't explain what's gotten into me...that's why I've been trying to keep myself busy and think about anything else, since I know it's not on at _all_ to even be thinking like this when they've been so lovely and welcoming, but...I just don't know what else to do about it...” Aila trailed off, shrugging helplessly as she fell silent.

Katja thought quietly to herself for a while. She blinked slowly every so often, and Aila wished she'd say something or stop staring.

“You are far too harsh on yourself,” Katja said with a shrug. “It ez not like you hold it against Leigh; like you _act_ jealous – but if you keep avoiding it, you vill start to feel bitter and may even take it out on her.”

Aila was a little shocked at Katja's bluntness, and perhaps even quite offended. She opened her mouth to tell Katja that wasn't the case at all, but Katja spoke over her. “It is _fine_ to talk about how you feel. Nobody vill hold that against you, especially not Leigh. But if you let yourself grow distant from her; from all of us...vell...different story.”

“I just feel so childish,” Aila whispered. “It's not like me.”

“So? Ve all have our moments of unpredictability. Look at robot voman.”

Aila couldn't help smirking a bit. “I won't become resentful of Leigh though, even with this. I know myself well enough to know I'd only ever resent somene if they did something _really_ bad to me...like, on a personal level, y'know? I try not to hold grudges unless I feel really deeply hurt by something.”

Katja nodded. “I understand, but still...I zink you should talk to Leigh. You are her closest friend in all of zis. She vill understand.”

Katja offered the doctor a small smile, which Aila reluctantly returned. Then, Katja rose from her seat and exited the room with Bianca, fighting back a few coughs as she went.

Aila stayed where she was sitting, thinking over what Katja said, and then sighed, knowing she was probably right. This wasn't the right way to go about things, and she needed to make it right before she really went and screwed things over even by accident. If there was one thing she didn't want to lose, it was Leigh's friendship.

\--

Later on in the day, Aila steeled her resolve and decided to do what Katja suggested. For better or worse, she knew the German woman usually gave very good advice, and she wanted to make things right.

Looking around the living room, she spotted the hairdresser sitting on the sofa reading something. “Leigh?”

“Hmm?” Leigh asked, glancing up at her, seemingly a bit surprised.

Aila smiled at her. “Wanna go for a walk?” she offered carefully, seeing it was a very sunny and warm day.

Leigh raised an eyebrow at the sudden request, and wondered if Katja did talk to her like she said she was going to. The hairdresser put her book down and stood, stretching a bit as she walked over towards the door.

The two walked outside into the shade of the trees, beams of light shining down between the branches. Aila found that breathing in the fresh air helped clear her head and allowed her to gather her thoughts as she walked.

Leigh glanced at Aila, silently wondering if there was something she wanted to talk about that she didn't want the others overhearing. After several minutes, the two came to a small clearing with a couple of large, mostly flat rocks at its centre.

Leigh raised an eyebrow. “Woah, those things are huge.”

Aila smirked. “Yeah, I came across them the other week. Come on.” She sprinted towards the rocks and climbed up onto them, skidding a bit as she landed before sitting down and waiting for Leigh to join her.

“So what's up?” Leigh asked, walking over and standing in front of the doctor.

Aila stared at her. “Who said anything's up?” Leigh raised her eyebrows, unimpressed. Aila looked away guiltily, stared at the ground, and shrugged. “Katja had words.”

“Oh _dear_ ,” Leigh began dramatically.

“Don't take the piss! She can be very...naggy and stern when she wants to be.”

“Bit like someone _else_ I know,” Leigh said innocently, but Aila pulled a face and shoved her. Leigh laughed loudly. “In all seriousness though, just say whatever it is you want to say. I know something's up.”

“I just don't want you to think I'm daft, though I can't help feeling daft anyway,” Aila mumbled.

Leigh stared. She couldn't help rolling her eyes. “Aila, look at me.” Aila obeyed. “I'm the daftest one of all of us, and for some reason you all put up with me. I'm sure we can cope with whatever _this_ is.”

Aila looked down at her hands, biting her lip. "Did you ever read my DYAD file?" she asked, realizing she didn't know exactly what Leigh already knew about her past.

Leigh shook her head. “No...not in any detail anyway. I just read the bit about your phone number and where you lived. I _was_ curious, but figured that'd be an invasion of privacy. I decided I'd only look into that stuff if I needed to. Plus I felt like I didn't have time anyway. These files are massive and I was a _bit_ frantic to find you since the trend made it clear Helena was already in Scotland.”

Aila nodded, then gave a small laugh. “I'm just not very...understanding, I suppose, when it comes to family.”

“Family?” Leigh repeated.

Aila shrugged again. “OK, 'understanding' is the wrong word...this is hard.”

“Do you miss your family?” Leigh asked, totally understanding it must be hard to have not seen or heard from them for so long.

Aila shook her head. “I never _had_ a family. Not a proper one, anyway.”

Leigh paused. Suddenly, she found herself back in the cafe in Scotland the first time she saw Aila. Upon revealing her face, the Scottish clone had commented something about her mother giving her up, and she remembered Aila saying something similar when they met Katja as well. Leigh cursed to herself inwardly. How could she forget that?

She wanted to say something, but she instead kept quiet while Aila reluctantly went into detail about her past, her childhood, and the things she'd been through, including the origin of her constant nightmares. She touched on everything she'd told Katja, telling the story without being overly specific about individual events. It was a lot for Leigh to take in. She hadn't imagined someone as wonderful as Aila having such a difficult upbringing.

“I don't think about it much, but when I do, it gets to me a lot,” Aila finished with a shrug. “Because it's all I wanted. Just what you have with your family.”

Aila was nervous for Leigh's reaction. She worried Leigh would think she was jealous or bitter, and she wasn't sure of the unusually blank look on the hairdresser's face as she let Aila's words sink in. Aila thought she resembled Rachel a _lot_ suddenly.

But when Leigh spoke, Aila decided she must have been imagining it.

“I think that's natural, Aila,” she told the doctor. “Everyone wants to feel like they belong. Like they're wanted. Anyone who claims they don't is kidding themselves.”

Aila found herself nodding in agreement. Leigh was talking a lot of sense. She shifted a bit nearer to put an arm around Aila. “You _do_ have a family,” she spoke again, her tone of voice slightly louder and cheerier as a small grin appeared on her face. “At least now you do, anyway.”

Aila stared at her for a moment, before smiling in relief, and hugging the hairdresser. Katja was right; they'd needed to have this talk. She allowed Leigh's words to really sink in, and realised she never really thought of the other clones as being family before now.

Leigh, Katja and Rat had always been Aila's friends in her mind, but really, they were so much more. Family meant having each other's backs, accepting differences, and supporting one another in times of need. Aila had gained all of that and more in the last few months without even realising it.

\--

A few days later, Aila opened the Skype window on Rat's laptop to find several messages from Janika, telling them to call her as soon as possible. Though the doctor had been making more of an effort to re-establish a normal relationship with the other clones, she still took the responsibility of talking to Janika, because nobody else seemed to have the patience for her rambling.

Aila frowned and opened a video call with the Austrian clone. She had no chance to say a anything before the museum owner held up something to make Aila's blood turn to ice. It was a doll with blue hair, wearing a black dress.

“Weirdest thing, someone broke into me place earlier, door was jammed open an' all, but nothin' was ransacked or stolen, and I just found this sat on me bed. Kinda freaky innit? Looks a bit like me. Reckon I got some kinda weird stalker or somethin', dunno...” the Austrian clone spoke, looking puzzled as she absently tossed the doll up and down in one hand. “Reckoned I ought to show ya, since it's proper weird. Looked all over and ain't found any trace of nothin' else, and no one else is here...” she rambled on, before noticing the horrified look on Aila's face. “'Sup with you?”

“Janika, get out of the house _NOW._ Get to somewhere public and safe!” Aila ordered her quickly, scared at the sight of the doll. By now she knew what that meant. Janika was in danger. Janika was _next_.

“Eh? W-What for?” Janika asked, though she stood and started looking around for a bag.

Aila trembled in her seat. “Don't bother _grabbing_ anything! Get _OUT_ of there, _NOW!_ _LEIGH! KATJA! RAT!_ ” she called to the others in sheer panic. She waited for the other three to sprint into the room, all of them looking startled.

“Vat?” Katja asked.

Rat frowned at the distressed state of the doctor, as well as the distressed state of Janika. “What's happened?” she demanded.

“D-Doll!” Aila squeaked, pointing to where it was still visible on the screen.

“Oh for _FUCK'S SAKE!_ Janika, leave your house! _NOW!_ You're in danger and you need to come here as fast as you can!” Leigh gasped.

“I am going to meet her,” Katja said, looking around for her coat.

“Are you crazy?” Rat shot at her. “OK, look, yes, Janika should come here, but-”

“Janika, just...get somewhere safe and call us again when you do,” Aila instructed her, trying in vain to remain calm.

“It doesn't make sense for _all_ of us to go and meet her,” Leigh spoke up, staring fearfully at the laptop screen. “If she's next, it's stupid to risk the safety of us all. I'll go.”

“Why _you?_ ” Rat snapped.

“Why _not?_ ” Leigh demanded. “Katja's not going in her condition.”

“I am _fine_ ,” Katja insisted, but all three clones glared at her.

“Just tell me where you guys are and I'll make me own way!” Janika shouted, flailing and rushing back and forth on screen. She didn't know what exactly the doll meant, but she wasn't stupid. She saw how freaked out everyone was. She flung all sorts of clothes and items across the room, apparently looking for something. “Friggin' hell! Where's the cover for Luca's travel cage!? I _ain't_ leavin' me baby here by himself!”

“We're in Leoben,” Aila told her hurriedly. “In the mountains off of St. George Road.”

“Shit, I've gotta tell Mum and Dad,” Leigh whispered as she hurried to leave the room, eager to put the doll well out of sight. “Aila, you and Janika decide on a meeting place, and I'll meet her.”

Leigh left the room before any of the others could protest. Rat clenched her fists angrily at Leigh's stubbornness, but she knew now wasn't the time. She instead rushed over to help Aila.

Aila's breath caught in her throat as she looked at the webcam feed to see a door opening slowly while Janika was distracted. Walking out of the room was a person wearing a large, heavy coat. Aila recognised it as the same coat she'd seen on a person just hours before the attempt had been made on her own life.

“JANIKA, LOOK OUT!” Aila screeched, feeling completely helpless and numb.

She, Rat and Katja could only watch in horror as Janika turned around and screamed just as the unknown person raised their hand and fired a gun three times. Blood splattered over the screen, and Janika was gone.

“Mon Dieu...” Rat whispered, trembling as she continued to stare at the screen.

“No...” Aila whimpered, tears rolling down her face.

Leigh rushed back into the room when she heard Aila's yell, but froze when she took in the pale and horrified faces of the other clones, and she didn't need to ask to know what had happened.

She ran over to shut the laptop off, seeing that the others were too stunned to realise they needed to cut the feed...but the killer sat down on the sofa and looked at the laptop, pulling her hood back.

A mane of messy, bleach-blonde hair emerged from the darkness, along with the unmistakable face of a clone. The four of them took in the state of Helena. She was very pale, even more so than Rat, with dark eyes which seemed almost feral in their intensity.

Helena leaned in closer to the camera, and Leigh shook with fury and fear, staring right back.

“You vant to see your friend?” Helena spoke slowly and quietly, her voice rough and threatening. She tilted the camera to show the lifeless, bleeding form of Janika on the ground. Aila turned and ran from the room, unable to deal with or comprehend what had happened. The others barely listened to her sobbing as they stayed completely still. “I'm sorry, friend can't talk right now,” Helena added.

Her face appeared on screen again, blocking Janika from view. Helena grinned widely, and Leigh forgot for a moment she was supposed to be ending the call. It was only when Helena let out a broken laugh, slammed down the laptop lid and the screen went blank that Katja finally fled the room to find Aila, while Leigh and Rat stood staring at each other, feeling sickened at what they just witnessed.

“DAMNIT!” Leigh shouted, suddenly slamming her fists on the table, making Rat jump as she did. In the background, they could hear Katja explaining to Leigh's parents what had happened.

“Leigh...” Rat started, but fell silent as Leigh closed her eyes and sobbed, still looking angry.

“I TOLD HER TO COME WITH US AND SHE DIDN'T! WHY WOULDN'T SHE _LISTEN?!_ ”

Rat frowned but didn't know what she could say, and so instead she stayed quiet. She suddenly realised it was possible Helena could have heard that they were in Leoben. She quickly opened the laptop again, pulling up a map of Austria. She found their location and Helena's, and while she couldn't tell exactly how far away the two towns were, she didn't think it'd take too long to cover the distance.

“We need to leave,” Rat said firmly, starting to look into properties in France to suit their needs.

Leigh was far too emotional to even hear Rat. She pulled at her own hair and paced restlessly. “ _FUCK!_ ” she screeched just as her parents rushed into the room. They looked very pale and shocked. Spencer opened his mouth to say something, but closed it again quickly and instead approached his daughter to try and calm her down.

Meanwhile, Rat turned her attention to Janet, shaking slightly. “We need to leave,” she said again, her voice breaking a bit as the realisation of Janika being dead hit her. “You...you need to go too...it's not safe-”

“Where are we supposed to _go?_ ” Spencer questioned, urging Leigh to sit down on the sofa. Leigh did not comply. She resumed her pacing, looking more distressed by the minute.

“I...I don't know,” Rat almost whispered, glancing at her phone. “Somewhere...I don't know. Just away.”

Katja and Aila reappeared in the room at that point. Aila was wiping tears away, and Katja looked quite scared.

“We can't just _go!_ ” Janet tried to reason. “We need a proper plan!”

“Helena just proved how dangerous she is,” Katja managed to speak. “She von't stop until she's killed us all...”

“So we need to go _NOW!_ ” Leigh shouted.

“And go _where_ exactly? Ashleigh, what use is just _going?_ Think about it; we need to calm down and...and...and _think_ about this; decide _where_ we're going, otherwise we're just aimlessly running-”

“Why didn't Janika LISTEN TO ME?” Leigh shrieked, drowning out her mother completely. The hairdresser finally stopped and fell to her knees. She threw her head into her hands and choked back an angry sob.

Janet hurried to her daughter's side and put an arm around her. Aila crossed the room, zombie-like, and sat down carefully on the sofa, her body stiff and rigid. “We _do_ need a plan,” she whispered.

Rat nodded a few times. She pressed a few buttons on her phone, but she struggled to find anything that might help them. In any case, the information didn't seem to be sinking in. “Damn it,” she whispered, finally tearing her eyes away from the phone and tossing it onto the sofa. She swallowed hard and trembled.

Katja hurried over to comfort her sister with a tight hug.

\--

Several hours passed, but nobody was able to come up with a solid plan. They were too shocked and scared to think straight. When the clones calmed down enough to talk properly, the day was starting to fade into evening.

“We need to find a way to meet Danielle. We can't put it off anymore,” Aila said quietly. “We can't risk giving Helena that much time to go at her. Shit...I can't believe we were right...she _is_ one of us...”

“Yeah,” Leigh nodded, staring down at her hands. She trembled a bit with grief and anger.

“Now wait a minute,” Spencer spoke up, looking at Leigh. “You're still determined to carry on with this?”

“I am,” Leigh said firmly, her eyes hardened slightly with resolve. “I know you think I'm crazy and stupid, but look around you. Any one of us could have been targeted months ago. One of us WAS targeted months ago. I'm not going to let Helena carry on like this when no one else is willing to do anything to save them. To save _us_. _All_ of us.”

Spencer frowned and glanced at his wife, who still looked worried as well. Janet spoke up then. “Maybe we should go back to DYAD then...we'd only slow you girls down on the run.”

Leigh glared at her mother. She did not need to look at Rat to know she was glaring too. “Are you bloody serious?” Leigh snapped. “After Leekie was going to _use_ you to get to _me?_ ”

“Rachel's there; she can help us-”

“ _NO!_ ” Leigh shouted. She jumped to her feet and began pacing again. “Rachel _can't_ help us anymore! She knows it's not safe in case Leekie's watching her every move; that's _why_ she told me not to contact her again! Leave her out of it!”

“I...have to agree with Leigh,” Aila mumbled quietly. She was still rather tense and rigid, though her tears had long since stopped. “I'm inclined to think DYAD _would_ cause harm to you to try and get you to talk.”

Janet and Spencer were looking very troubled as they looked at each other. They couldn't deny Leigh and Aila were right.

“It's safer if we split up,” Leigh continued. “If by some chance anyone finds us again, it's not safe for you two to be hanging around us.”

“But-”

“No 'buts',” Leigh shot at her father. “I didn't mean to drag you and Mum into this! You need to _go_ and find somewhere safe and bloody well _stay_ there until this whole thing is over.”

A silence followed. Leigh heard Rat sigh with relief when Janet finally nodded in agreement.

“We'll leave in the morning,” she said quietly. “Let's decide where we're going to go.”

Without a word, Rat reached down and picked up her laptop, opening her data files as she looked over the various DYAD locations across the world. Katja watched her sister work quietly as she pulled up a new window and cross-checked the word 'Prolethean' in the nearby countries not hosting DYAD facilities. Rat leaned back as the computer scanned through all books, papers, and anything else. After several minutes, the map was highlighted with all of the countries that were seemingly DYAD-free and Prolethean-free.

“Alright, you've got a few choices... South Africa is free of both DYAD and the Proletheans. Same thing with Madagascar...mostly DYAD seem to be focused in Northern Africa, Europe, Asia, North America, and South America. They have one place in Australia, though that can be avoided if need be...a lot of the smaller Asian countries are also in the clear,” Rat told them, glancing up.

Janet and Spencer stared at her, bewildered. “How on earth do you _know_ that?” Janet asked.

“Magic,” Rat replied dryly. “Think it over and take your pick. In the meantime, I'll start looking into somewhere in France we can make a base camp,” she murmured, typing away again.

Katja watched her pull up a map of France as well as Danielle's profile. She looked through her bio and found where the French clone lived when she wasn't on tour.

“The 19th Arrondissement of Paris?” Rat murmured quietly to Katja. “Fancy cow...”

“Ja...let's hope she is nice at least,” Katja commented.

Rat spent a few minutes looking for places they could run to while everyone else sat around quietly. Charles, who had been curled up in an armchair by the fireplace, suddenly raised his head and stared at his owner. It took Rat a few moments to notice.

“What's up Charles?” she asked the dog. Charles flattened his ears and gave a small whimper. He hopped off the chair and trotted over to Rat. “Do you need to go out?” Charles tilted his head and stepped back excitedly. Rat heaved a sigh and passed the laptop to Katja. “Come on then.”

The hacker got to her feet and beckoned the dog to follow her. Perhaps some air would do her some good anyway...

Katja continued looking for places in France in silence. She looked around curiously when Aila choked back a sob. The doctor had tears in her eyes again.

“Sorry,” she gasped weakly. “Janika...we can't just leave her _there_ like _that..._ we should do something...”

“What _can_ we do though?” Leigh tried to reason. She hurried over to sit by Aila's side. “Helena might still be hanging around...someone will find Janika, I'm sure of it...”

“But it's not right,” Aila whimpered. “We should call someone...police...her monitor...I don't know!”

Leigh put an arm around her. She couldn't blame Aila for thinking like this. “I know it's not right,” she said gently. “I don't think it's safe to contact anyone. It'd risk us being found, and we can't afford to be questioned by the police of all people... not that Leekie would let them get involved. You know what happened with Aryanna's murder...”

“Ja, vee need to get out of here and zen update Beth,” Katja said wisely. “I am sure vee vill hear about it ven someone finds Janika.”

Aila nodded, taking deep breaths to try to calm herself as Leigh continued to hug her. The clones lapsed into silence for several minutes. Aila managed to get herself under control again, trying to think of anything besides Janika.

From outside, Charles barked loudly at something. Leigh stood up, wondering if the dog had spotted a squirrel. She glanced at the window, though suddenly everyone's blood turned to ice as the dog's barks were drowned out by a blood-curdling scream.

Leigh stayed glued to the spot for a moment as she stared out the window. Everyone else seemed unable to move too, but Leigh swore under her breath when the figures of two people could be seen in the shadows outside, struggling with each other, while Charles barked and snarled and ran circles in his panicked state. A flash of blonde, curly hair caught the light from the house.

“It's Helena!” Leigh shouted, backing away instinctively.

“ _NEIN!_ ” Katja shrieked in a panicked voice so unlike her own it sent Aila jumping into the air in shock. The German flew out of the room shouting Rat's name over and over, and Leigh turned and sprinted after her.

“Mum, Dad, get upstairs and hide!” she shouted. The hairdresser seized the first thing could; a pan from the kitchen and made to follow Katja.

“Leigh!” Aila began, trying to grab her.

Leigh shook Aila off of her desperately. “ _NO!_ _HELENA'S OUT THERE AND SHE'S GOTTA BE STOPPED!_ ” She pushed past Aila and fled out into the night, leaving Aila to make sure Janet and Spencer stayed out of sight.

Katja had already lunged herself at Helena and clung onto her mane of curly hair. She fought to wrestle the killer away from Rat, who had stumbled to the ground after her struggle.

Helena was holding a knife in her hand...in blind panic, Leigh rushed forward, raised the pan, and smacked it over Helena as hard as she could, hitting the side of her face and shoulder hard.

“ _AARRRGGHH!_ ” Helena screamed. She let go of Katja instantly, who staggered and fell to her knees, but Helena still clung tightly to the knife as she attempted to stab Leigh. Leigh swung the pan at her again, but missed, and Helena punched her in the face.

Leigh hit the ground with a terrible thud. Her vision blurred a bit, and she felt disorientated...she was sure she could hear Aila's voice now, along with Charles' barking and the sounds of the others struggling with Helena. She felt hands on her arms, helping her back to her feet, and glanced over as she saw Aila watching the scene unfold with wide eyes.

Rat staggered to her feet slowly, her arm bleeding from a gash. She watched in horror as Katja jumped at Helena again, struggling as she attempted to subdue the killer clone. The hacker instinctively ran over to help her sister, trying to get the knife away from Helena as the blonde screeched in rage like a wild animal.

Helena kicked Katja in the stomach, forcing her away as the German woman gasped and coughed violently, momentarily winded. Helena then turned her wild eyes on Rat, easily forcing her away as well with a swift, hard punch to the side of the head.

The Ukrainian clone found the knife, which had fallen to the ground, and held it tightly as she quickly jumped up again. She looked between the four, making sounds almost like hissing as she glared.

“Dirty copies, less than parasites, abominations to God,” Helena muttered.

Leigh glared at her venomously. “What the HELL are you on about?!” screamed at the blonde. “We're clones just like you! WHY are you going around killing your own?!”

“ _NOT_ my own!” Helena snarled. “I am the original, I am the light! You are NOTHING! Nothing but filthy shallow COPIES!”

Leigh remembered Lucas explaining how the Proletheans had brainwashed Helena into killing clones. Was this what they told her? That she was the original? That didn't dull the anger she felt towards the woman who had killed Aryanna and Janika, though...

“You're NOT the original. The Proletheans are LYING!” Rat shouted. She held the side of her head as she glared at Helena, though her words only seemed to enrage the blonde woman again.

“You can't take all four of us at once and you know it. Give up!” Aila shot. She wondered how they could possibly restrain the blonde, who seemed to be much physically stronger than the rest of them.

Helena glared at them all, seeming to be thinking for a moment. Then, she screamed in rage and lunged at Rat at incredible speeds, who was closest to her. Rat shrieked in shock as she hit the ground hard, suddenly finding Helena on top of her. She could only stare up in horror as an intense, burning pain pierced her throat, and then Helena vanished from view. Rat felt cold and light-headed, not understanding what had happened.

Leigh, Aila and Katja watched in confusion as Helena disappeared into the forest. Leigh made to run after her, but skidded to a halt when she heard a loud and horrified gasp from Katja, who had gone over to Rat. Leigh looked back and forth between the forest and the other clones.

“Fuck's sake!” the hairdresser growled before approaching the others. She paused in horror at the sight before her.

The hacker's throat had been slit. The gash bled out onto the ground. Aila wasted no time in shedding her hoody, pressing it against the wound. It wasn't exactly the most sanitary option in the world, but there was no choice. The doctor knew if she didn't stop the flow quickly enough, Rat would bleed to death, drown, or both.

“Leigh, go grab as many towels as you can carry and tell your parents to call for an ambulance, _NOW!_ ” Aila ordered, her voice firm but steady. She knew she should have Katja do something to help as well, but she found she didn't have the heart to pry the German woman away.

Katja held Rat's hand tightly, sobbing.


	22. Chapter 21

The next few hours became a mess of sounds and colours all mixed into one. There were faded screams and distant shouts, a blur of people rushing about, and a flash of blue and red light as sirens rang through the air. The night was cold. The waiting room was colder. The situation was dream-like, with no concept of time, or feeling, or sight...it wasn't until they forced themselves into seats that reality hit them again, and their surroundings became clearer.

Aila could hardly breathe as she shuddered between Katja and Leigh. She was vaguely aware of the voices of doctors and nurses, but the words didn't sink in. She hated the waiting. This was all too familiar. This could not become habit.

“Not again,” Aila mouthed, trying to speak, but unable to make sound. Her eyes watered, but she managed to hold back tears. “Not _again_.” Were they really going to lose two of their friends in the same day?

Beside her, Katja trembled with fury and fear. She had wanted to go with Rat while doctors rushed to save her life, but Leigh had convinced her it would do no good. Every so often, the German cursed under her breath and twitched as though wanting to get up and force herself into the room where Rat lay...but Katja knew better. Her sister needed her to be strong and wait while the doctors did their job.

And Leigh sat, zombie-like, unable or unwilling to move or speak. Her eye was bruised and swollen from Helena's sharp punch, but Leigh paid no attention to the pain. She stared blankly at the wall opposite them as her anger settled in. _Why_ hadn't she gone after Helena? She should have done...but Rat was more important...but now Helena was still out there...who would be next? How many more would suffer before the killer clone was stopped?

Janet and Spencer had wanted to come with them to the hospital, but somebody needed to keep an eye on Rat's dogs. In the back of her mind, Leigh hoped against hope Helena would not go back to the house.

Aila stared blankly down at the floor, shivering from the cooling blood on her damp shirt. This whole situation was a terrible deja'vu moment. She recalled being in the waiting room in Italy, also wearing a bloody under-shirt from her failed attempts to save Aryanna. She felt nauseous to think that the situation was repeating itself. She couldn't bear the thought that she hadn't done enough to save Rat, though in the back of her mind, she knew there was nothing more she could have done for her.

After what felt like hours, a doctor walked out and looked around. “Lake?” he asked.

Katja's head shot up so fast Aila almost thought her neck would snap. The German clone stood up to approach the doctor. Aila and Leigh glanced at each other, both sharing the fear that this would play out exactly like it had in Italy. Aila went over to stand beside Katja, knowing the German would need the most support in case of the worst happened. Leigh stood and followed the others as well, unable to decipher the look on the doctors face.

“Vell?!” Katja snapped, staring at the man with wide eyes.

“Your sister is very, very lucky,” the doctor told them. All three pairs of eyes lit up hopefully at his words. “The blade missed all of her major arteries. One of the smaller arteries on the right side was damaged, though the quick actions taken to contain the injury kept her from losing too much blood.”

“S-She's alive?” Katja gasped meekly, her voice so unlike her own the others barely recognised it.

“Yes,” the doctor nodded. “She's alive and stable.”

“Oh thank God,” Aila breathed, covering her mouth as she released a shuttering breath of relief. She hugged Katja tightly, who quickly returned the gesture, looking to be on the brink of tears. Leigh joined in on the hug, far more relieved than she'd admit.

“However,” the doctor spoke up again after a moment, getting their attention. “There may be some complications.”

“Uh...complications?” Leigh asked warily.

The doctor nodded. “One of Annabelle's vocal cords was damaged in the attack. We won't be able to assess the full extent of the damage until she wakes up and tries to talk, though we expect a condition known as Vocal Cord Paresis, which basically means a weakness of one or both vocal cords. Common effects of the condition include hoarseness, vocal fatigue, mild to severe reduction in vocal volume, pain in the throat when speaking, shortness of breath, and aspirations that may result in coughing fits. We'll need to keep her here for observation to determine the severity of the effects, because every case is different. Additional surgeries may be required if she has trouble eating and drinking to the point of causing aspirations, or if she has severe vocal impairment.”

Silence followed. Aila nodded in understanding, but Leigh and Katja stared at the doctor. Katja swallowed hard, her eyes brimming with tears. “I vant to see her,” she said sternly.

The doctor held back a resigned sigh and bowed his head in agreement. He stepped back to allow Katja to enter the room, while Leigh and Aila waited outside to give her a moment and take in the doctor's words.

Katja stood in the door frame numbly as her eyes found her sister. Rat lay in the hospital bed, fast asleep. Her wound was covered by bandages, and she looked paler than usual, minus the purple bruising from Helena's punch...but then, Katja supposed, that wasn't surprising. The German willed herself to cross the room to stand at Rat's side. Even in sleep, the hacker seemed troubled...it was a vibe Katja couldn't ignore. She wished Rat could find peace, if only for a minute.

“I am here,” she said gently, placing a trembling hand on her sister's head to stroke her hair.

\--

Rat slowly opened her eyes to stare up at the ceiling. The screaming had stopped, replaced by the constant beep of a cardiac monitor and faint traffic noises. This wasn't the first time Rat awoke today, though it was the first time she could think clearly. She moved her head slightly, wincing at the sharp pain that came with the movement. Her throat felt stiff and dry, and it hurt to move.

Rat stared at the wall for a moment, trying to recall what had happened. She remembered taking Charles out for a walk, and the four of them fighting against Helena, but what had happened afterwards? It was all a blurry mess of yelling and sirens and pain. Rat moved her head slightly to look out the window to see what time of day it was. She noticed a figure in the chair beside the bed.

Katja was asleep with her head resting on the edge of the bed. Rat looked at her for a moment, wondering how long she'd been there for, before lightly prodding her arm. She figured Katja would want to know that she was awake.

“ _Vat?!_ ” Katja startled awake with a terrible yell and knocked over the glass of water she'd left next to her chair. It smashed on the ground and soaked the floor, but neither sister paid attention to that. Rat could only watch as Katja found her bearings and sat up straight. It was strange seeing the German so on edge. It was even stranger that a single prod had pulled her so easily from her sleep.

Rat wanted to say something, but couldn't. Katja exhaled deeply and took her sister's hand. “You are avake,” she managed, and Rat rolled her eyes as if to say 'obviously'. Katja smiled a bit. Rat thought she looked exhausted. “Do not try and speak,” Katja told her. “Not yet...Leigh and Aila, zey vent back to zee house – to check on doggies and send Janet and Spencer avay,” she explained hurriedly. “Vee used your laptop...sorry...to find a safe place for zem; zey vill be going tonight...Helena got avay...”

Rat felt mildly disturbed to see Katja rushing her words and panicking so much. It was not like her at all.

“Should I get a doctor?” Katja blurted out, suddenly standing up. “Perhaps I should – zey vill vant to know you are avake...”

Katja hurried to leave the room, almost tripping over herself as she reached the door. Rat frowned to herself, but had no choice but to wait in silence until Katja returned. She dragged a poor nurse into the room while hastily speaking in German, stuttering every few words.

Rat could only stare, now even more disturbed by her sister's erratic behavior. The logical part of her mind told her Katja was probably acting out of residual fear, but it didn't make it any easier to witness.

The nurse stepped away from Katja and approached the bed, checking over the various monitors Rat was hooked up to. Then she muttered something to Katja and walked out of the room. The German woman made as if she was going to follow her, but Rat grabbed her hand before she could. She pointed to the chair, silently instructing Katja to sit.

Katja looked between Rat and the door for a minute before sitting down at last. “That voman, she ez going to get zee doctor. He vill be here soon,” she explained quickly.

Rat stared at Katja, wishing she could tell her to calm down. Instead, the hacker reached out and lightly put her hand on the side of her sister's jaw, not entirely sure how to reassure her without words, but she knew she had to do something to get Katja to relax and breathe for a minute.

Katja seemed to understand. She stopped and became completely still, finally relaxing a bit. She took Rat's hand in her own. “I am sorry,” she murmured. Rat shook her head subtly to let her know it was fine. Katja bit down hard and took a deep breath. “I am tired. Helena...she scares me more zan I vant to admit...”

Rat watched her sister sadly. As hard as it was seeing Katja so distraught, Rat couldn't blame her. She was sick, getting worse and worse each day, with hardly any chance to rest with everything going on. It hit Rat just how much Katja cared about her. How scared she must have been to think Helena killed her...Katja was bound to break eventually, however composed she tried to be...

As the nurse re-entered the room with a doctor, Rat tightened her grip on Katja's hand. She wouldn't let her sister break just yet.

\--

“Aila, get packing,” Leigh snapped later that day.

The hairdresser wasn't having an easy day. First, she'd returned to the house with a shaken up Aila, who seemed exhausted and numb with all that had gone on, which left Leigh with the task of convincing her parents to leave. Janet and Spencer were stubborn, resulting in a brief argument between them and Leigh, before they finally came to an agreement and went upstairs to pack. Leigh had found a place for them on Rat's laptop somewhere in South Africa, which was DYAD-free and far enough away to stay safely hidden. Leigh also forced her parents to take some of her money to afford the cost of traveling, which they had also argued about.

Now, Aila didn't seem to want to do anything. Aryanna, Janika, and Rat kept crossing her mind.

“Look, Rat's OK,” Leigh tried to assure her. “She's OK thanks to _you._ You saved her life. But we need to pack our stuff, and Rat's and Katja's, so when Rat comes out of hospital, we can just _go._ Meanwhile, if Helena comes back, I swear I'm gonna kick the shit out of her...”

“I don't know how long Rat'll be in hospital for,” Aila managed as she decided to help Leigh at last. “I'm just worried about the police getting involved. She had her throat slit; the hospital are _going_ to contact the police about it.”

Leigh sighed, resisting the urge to pull at her hair. “I KNOW that...shit...OK, look, it was dark, right? Maybe we can say we didn't see the attacker's face...maybe just tell them to look for a blonde woman with a weird accent...shit, I don't even know, but we still need to prepare. We're going to have to leave for France as soon as we can.”

Aila nodded quietly, finally standing to gather what few things she'd brought with her. It didn't take long since she didn't have a lot. She absently wondered if they should find a house closer to the hospital to live in. Now Helena knew they were there, it was only a matter of time before she came back to try to kill them again.

The doctor heard Leigh's parents packing, but paid them no mind and went upstairs to where Rat and Katja slept. She looked around and gathered up what bits of clothing and items she identified as theirs.

Aila stuffed some of the items into Katja's bag before kneeling down to unzip Rat's suitcase. She went to close it again after placing clothes inside...but then Aila noticed something orange shoved in the corner of the case, partially stuffed underneath a shirt. She recognised it as a prescription bottle, and recalled Leigh saying she saw Rat taking some kind of medication before.

The doctor frowned. She knew she should respect the other clone's privacy...but Aila recalled being at Rat's library, when she suspected the hacker of purposely avoiding the topic of the diagnosed condition Leekie accused her of having.

Aila shook her head and quickly closed the case, momentarily ashamed at herself for being tempted to look. Whatever was or wasn't going on really wasn't her business.

\--

The rest of the day was stressful for everyone. In between visiting Rat at the hospital and preparing to leave for France, Leigh, Aila and Katja were faced with the task of speaking to the police about what had happened. The three of them panicked when it came to getting their story straight and insisted on giving fake names. Aila in particular could not risk telling the police who she was. She was still wanted for murder, whether she was in Scotland or not.

“Maybe vee should just _tell_ zee police all vee know about Helena,” Katja groaned angrily in the waiting room at the hospital. “Zey can lock her up until she rots...and zee nutters making her do all of zis also.”

Leigh wanted to tell her off for suggesting such a thing, but she held her tongue. Katja had a point. Why _did_ they keep refusing to tell authorities about Helena?

“She's a clone,” Aila spoke quietly. She glanced around to make sure nobody was listening in. “If we tell the police everything, DYAD will find out somehow. DYAD will come for Helena.”

There was a pause.

“Maybe that wouldn't be such a bad thing,” Leigh whispered.

Aila stared at her in disbelief. “So you want to team up with DYAD now? After everything?”

“I never said that,” Leigh said with a shrug. “Well...I don't know...”

“I'm still wanted for murder, in case you forgot,” Aila reminded her. “Meeting Leekie in person convinced me I can't trust DYAD. If they manage to get me off the murder charge, they'll _still_ make my life hell somehow; I know it. Same goes for you and Katja. Rat would never agree to this anyway...”

“I know, I _know,_ ” Leigh told her desperately. “I'm just saying...DYAD's got power. _Real_ power, probably more so than the police. If anyone can control Helena, it's them. I don't think they even _know_ about Helena! Lucas said she was kidnapped by the Proletheans, right? So what if we...hand Helena over to DYAD; make them aware of this un-monitored clone and come to some kind of...of compromise-”

“Are you for real?” Katja asked, sounding disbelieving now. “DYAD are double-crossers. I cannot believe after all you have started, you are even _suggesting_ zis.”

Leigh had never seen Katja so angry. It was unnerving.

“I agree,” Aila added. “I thought _Beth_ was going to stop Helena, anyway. _She's_ the one we need to trust in all this. Which reminds me, we need to get in touch with her and tell her about Janika. Damn, I don't know if anyone even _found_ Janika yet...”

Leigh opened her mouth to say something, but paused when the three of them were approached by two men in police uniforms who proceeded to ask them questions. They hadn't had the time to agree on a story, and so they tried to stay consistent with each other as they took turns talking.

They said their sister had gone outside to walk the dog when she was attacked by a blonde woman with a heavy Russian or Ukrainian accent. They explained they hadn't seen her face very well because of the dark, and by the time help arrived, the woman had run off. It was obvious Katja was still extremely unhappy with not telling the whole truth about Helena, but it was a start. A blonde Ukrainian woman would be obvious enough to the police.

After the police left, the three clones made their way up to Rat's room. The hacker was staring out the window absently, looking completely bored. She flinched when she turned her head to look at them, but gave a short wave in greeting.

“Hey...” Aila said with a somewhat forced smile.

Rat picked up on the tension between the three and raised an eyebrow, staring at them expectantly. She wondered what could have possibly happened in the two hours they'd left her alone.

“It ez nozing,” Katja tried to assure her sister.

Aila, however, sighed, unable to ignore Leigh refusing to look at any of them. The doctor fidgeted for a while, earning more disapproving looks from Rat. After a while, Aila sighed again, looked up, and told Rat what the three had discussed in the waiting room, much to the disapproval of Leigh and Katja.

“We need to be _honest_ with each other!” she told them defensively. “If we don't come to some sort of agreement now, things will fall apart. I'm against turning Helena into DYAD, and so is Katja. We're pretty sure you are too.” She looked at Rat, expecting to see anger on her features at the very mention of DYAD.

To Aila's surprise, Rat looked strangely calm. She bit her lip, itching to say something. Then she began looking around for something. It didn't take Katja long to realise what she wanted.

“Here,” she said. She took out her phone and handed it to Rat so the hacker could type what she wanted to say.

“I _know_ it's not the best option there is,” Leigh spoke in a controlled voice while Rat typed. “I _don't_ trust Leekie, Aila. Not one bit. I just want to stop Helena.”

“But at what cost?” Aila asked.

“I _know_ ,” Leigh insisted. She let out a short sigh and pulled her own hair. “I don't want to put you guys in danger. I'm just...throwing ideas out there. I don't know. I don't _know._ I wouldn't _do_ anything if you didn't agree with it. I hope you know that.”

“Vee do,” Katja assured her. Aila nodded too, calming down a bit.

Finally, Rat passed her phone to Katja, who read the message off the screen. “Turning Helena into DYAD isn't actually a bad idea, but if vee are to do it, it needs to be done properly. Zat means _NO_ deals, _NO_ compromise...it needs serious zinking and planning, and before zat, vee need to CATCH Helena in zee first place. Contact Beth. She vill help.”

Both Leigh and Aila were stunned at Rat considering the option, but they didn't dare argue. If anyone was smart enough to make sure this was done properly, it was Rat.

Katja frowned. “But Ratty...ez it not you who said DYAD vould just experiment on zose who mess zings up for zem? Vhy not just bring Helena to regular police and let her rot in jail?”

Rat motioned for the phone again and typed out another response, before passing it back to Katja. The German woman read the message out loud. “Zat ez true, zough at zis point, do you zink I care? Let zem do vat zey vant vith her. She deserves it.”

The room lapsed into an uncomfortable silence.

“We should speak to Beth,” Aila agreed quietly after a moment. “You're right. Nothing's going to happen either way until we actually catch Helena. I'll call Beth later on tonight.”

Rat nodded. She leaned back, apparently tired and in pain. She was thankful the others agreed to let this drop for now. She wasn't sure she had the energy for it.

“We'll let you rest, Rat,” Leigh said gently. “Just...shit...” Leigh found herself hurrying over to Rat and carefully pulling her into a one-armed hug, worried about hurting her. Leigh let go quickly and glared at the hacker. “Doesn't mean I like you or anything,” she insisted, backing away. “But you get better soon, or else.”

Rat watched in stunned confusion as Leigh left the room. Aila said her goodbyes too, wished Rat well, and followed Leigh.

“I am staying,” Katja told Rat. “Zey can handle Beth.”

Rat motioned for Katja's phone again, typing quickly as Katja made herself comfortable in the chair. She handed the phone to her sister when she was finished.

' _You can definitely tell Leigh got hit in the head._ '

It was the first time Katja laughed all day.

\--

“Why are you lot still pissing about in Austria? You have Janika's samples, so get a move on with Danielle!”

“Hello to you too Beth,” Aila said dryly, not surprised the detective was already having a go at them. She looked thin and worn out, with dark eyes. She looked nothing like the bright and friendly woman they'd first met.

“Look, we didn't call you to get yelled at, so shut up and listen,” Leigh snapped irritably. “Janika's dead and Rat's in the hospital with a slit throat, so we're not gonna be able to get to France for another few weeks.”

Beth stared at them, shocked. “Janika's _dead?!_ And one of yours was attacked? Did you guys actually face off with the killer then?”

“Yeah, we did,” Leigh muttered. “And she got away.”

“ _Shit..._ ” Beth breathed. The irritable look on her face faded away, replaced with complete worry. “And Rat...will she-”

“She should be fine,” Leigh sighed. “Dunno how long she'll be in hospital for though.”

“And Janika? What happened?”

Aila and Leigh nervously glanced at each other before launching into an explanation of what they witnessed, including the fact Helena was actually another clone. The detective listened carefully, though the news seemed to disturb her a lot.

“You guys _still_ need to get out of there,” she said right away, shaking her head. “What's the plan?”

“Well we were hoping you could help,” Aila began reluctantly. “You're a cop – you could do something about Helena-”

“What, from _Canada?_ ” Beth interrupted. “Unless we lure this bitch over here to come after _me,_ there's not a lot I can do. Not without getting the rest of the force involved, and honestly, I don't know how well that'd go down. DYAD would be all over it for a start!”

“True...” Aila agreed.

“I'm not sure I want to give Alison another reason to freak out, anyway,” Beth muttered, averting her gaze now.

“You haven't told her any of this?” Leigh asked.

“I'm not about to tell her the killer's another _clone,_ no,” Beth told her sharply. “I'm trying to keep Alison in the dark as much as possible. I'm convincing her to keep calm, or she's gonna lose it. And say we _do_ manage to get Helena and her lot over here? What if it goes wrong? What if they find _Alison?_ ”

“We're _all_ in danger wherever Helena decides to go, Beth!” Leigh argued. “And if we don't do something now, she's gonna finish us lot off over here, and then she'll come for you lot over there anyway! Why are you so concerned for _Alison_ in all of this?”

“I just _am,_ OK?” Beth snapped defensively. “You don't know what she's like! You don't know what this is doing to her!”

Leigh just stared. It was rather...haunting to see someone like Beth becoming so desperate and irrational. She glanced at Aila again, who shook her head sadly, hoping Beth wouldn't notice. Leigh wondered if Aila was thinking the same as her. It seemed out of all the clones, Alison included, Beth was the one struggling the most.

“Would you be able to catch Helena if we tricked her into going over there, or not?” Leigh asked calmly.

Beth took a deep, steadying, breath. “Yes, if I have enough time to form a proper plan. Let's _not_ rush into anything, OK? Get Rat out of hospital, get out of Austria, and find a new place to stay in France. We'll talk about catching Helena when you're settled again.”

The call ended suddenly, leaving Leigh and Aila feeling extremely tense.

The rest of the evening passed by in a tense silence. Nobody slept, too afraid of Helena showing up for round two. Leigh had again taken up the habit of keeping her pan nearby through the night, and when morning finally came, it was time for Janet and Spencer to leave for their new home in South Africa.

“When it's safe, I'll come and find you,” Leigh promised as she hugged them both. Even though she knew this was for the best, it was still hard on everybody to split up again.

Aila left them alone for a moment to say their goodbyes, though she was surprised when Janet called her back over and hugged her as well.

“You're a very good friend to Ashleigh, and we thank you for that,” Janet said.

“Try and make sure she doesn't smack _too_ many people with that pan,” Spencer added, trying to keep the mood light.

Leigh groaned slightly and shook her head, but Aila couldn't help laughing. “No promises there, I'm afraid. You know what she's like with that,” she said teasingly, earning another playful shove from Leigh.

“That we do,” Janet said with a small smile. “You girls stay safe. We'll be waiting for you _all_ to come back from this mess in one piece.”

With that, Janet and Spencer left with their bags, and the house suddenly felt strangely empty and silent. Aila glanced over at Leigh and lightly put her arm around her. “You'll see them again,” she said.

Leigh sighed softly. “I hope so...but we can't think about that now. Let's see about finding somewhere closer to the hospital to settle down in, and prepare for France.”

Aila smiled and nodded. “Yep, and you know what would be a good thing to start with?”

Leigh raised an eyebrow. “What?”

“A nice fresh cup of tea,” Aila told her, making her way towards the kitchen.

Leigh gave a subtle smile. “That'd be an excellent start.”

\--

Rat made steady progress. The weeks passed, and she regained some of her strength and the ability to talk. She struggled occasionally, and it was clear she would never quite be the same again, but it was a massive relief to everyone to know she was on the mend.

The most noticeable change was Rat's voice. It now seemed to be higher pitched than that of a typical clone. It was an odd change, especially when the doctors had been expecting her voice to be lower, if anything. The hacker was determined to leave hospital sooner rather than later, despite being advised against it for the time being.

“She ez nervous of Helena,” Katja told the others quietly. “I do not blame her for vanting to get out of Austria.”

The clones had found a small apartment to stay in close to the hospital. Since they were only intending to stay there until Rat left hospital, they didn't want to spend too much money on a bigger place, so they made do for the time being.

Katja spent most of her time at Rat's side, while Aila and Leigh concentrated on other issues. Always on high alert, Leigh found herself gravitating towards the windows of their apartment and staring down over the town for hours on end, much to Aila's disapproval.

Aila, on the other hand, became obsessive with reading news reports and waiting for updates from Beth. “They found Janika,” she told a distracted Leigh one morning while looking on Katja's laptop. It was enough to gain Leigh's full attention. She whipped around and abandoned the window to listen to Aila. “Selena sent an email to Katja...look...DYAD know...they're covering it up; making sure it's not mentioned in the papers or anything...just like they did with Aryanna...”

“Of course,” Leigh said bitterly.

“Janika's laptop is missing,” Aila continued as she read off the screen.

Leigh stared. “Somebody took it?”

“I'm guessing DYAD,” Aila mumbled, shrugging. “I suppose they'd want to know what Janika was doing on there before she was killed. They might want to see who she's been in contact with.”

“So we'll have to be careful,” Leigh muttered.

“And also, apparently there was one cop in particular who showed up after the fact who was asking questions about...me?” Aila asked, raising an eyebrow. “Selena's warning us all to be careful. She thinks the cop was another DYAD agent who was undercover, though apparently this person was specifically trying to get information about _me_ after asking questions about Janika.”

“That's...weird,” Leigh muttered, feeling rather uneasy about this mysterious cop. “Soon as Rat's out of the hospital, we need to leg it to France as fast as we can if DYAD are really right on our arses.”

The two of them were ready to discuss these latest revelations with Katja, but the German woman was extremely distracted the next time they saw her. Rat was due to leave hospital the next day, and Katja had returned to take a fresh set of clothes in for her. She shuffled over to Aila later on, looking concerned and confused. She appeared to be holding something tightly in her hand.

“Aila, I vant your opinion on somezing,” she said bluntly.

Aila waited for her to explain, while Leigh half-listened as she gazed out of the window again.

Katja looked down at the large, orange plastic bottle in her hand. “Vat exactly ez Clozaril? I found zis in Ratty's bag along vith her Diazepam. Zat one I know ez for her anxiety, but zis I have never heard of.”

Aila's eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Clozaril? Are you sure?” she asked, taking the bottle to have a look for herself. ' _Clozaril_ ' was clearly printed on the label.

“Ja, vat ez it?” Katja asked, slightly unnerved by the look on Aila's face.

Aila stared at the bottle for a moment longer, before shaking her head slightly in disbelief. “Clozaril...or rather, Clozapine, is...well...a highly effective anti-psychotic used to treat schizophrenia, psychosis, and bipolar disorder. Also lowers the risk of suicidal behaviour in patients who have schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder,” she explained, reciting the words as if she were reading them from a textbook. “A regular patient of mine back home was on the stuff because he had schizoaffective disorder.”

Katja stared at Aila in disbelief while Leigh tore her gaze from the window. The hairdresser hurried over, frowning, to look at the bottle.

“She _did_ dodge the issue when we tried to question her, didn't she?” Aila whispered as she recalled what happened after Leekie showed up.

“But it's _Rat's_ business, right?” Leigh asked. The tone of her voice suggested this discovery shocked her, though. “If she's on medication, she's clearly controlling it...she's not _violent_ like Leekie said...”

“Vhy vould she keep zis from _me_ zough?” Katja questioned. She glared at the bottle as though she blamed it for everything. Aila worried the German might throw it out of sheer frustration.

“But it means Leekie was telling the truth and Rat lied to us,” Aila said with a shrug.

“No, Rat ez not a _liar_ ,” Katja insisted, her fist trembling now. “Leekie, he must be _twisting_ zings...”

“Maybe you should talk to _Rat,_ ” Leigh insisted. “We won't get the full picture unless we convince her to spit it out.”

The others reluctantly agreed, deciding to wait until Rat came home the following evening to ask her about it. While everyone, especially Katja, wanted to know more about the discovery, they all knew it wouldn't be right or fair to question her at the hospital, especially if they ended up making a scene.

The following day, Katja left to pick up Rat by herself. Aila kept busy looking over news articles on the computer while Leigh again stood by the window, holding her pan. Aila didn't think it was particularly healthy that the English clone kept the pan around at all times, but she really couldn't blame her given everything that had happened. She hoped Leigh would be able to relax a bit when they finally left Austria.

“Oh...Leigh, come look at this,” Aila said, reading something.

Leigh walked over and sat beside the Scottish clone, taking a look at the laptop. Aila had discovered news of a ballroom party being held in Paris on August 31st.

“That's next Friday, and according to this, Danielle is going to be there. Maybe we can somehow use this to our advantage and meet her?” Aila suggested.

“Could do, but we'd have to be careful. We couldn't really just go there and find her. Other people would recognise us and think we're her,” Leigh said, tilting her head.

“Yeah, we'll need to plan it out somehow,” Aila agreed.

Leigh grinned suddenly. “Though...it would be fun to do us all up in make-up and dresses,” she said.

Aila laughed. “You want to play dress up with us? You're _such_ a girl,” she teased. “God, I haven't worn a dress in _years_...”

“What, since that incident with the tequila and the pole?” Leigh asked innocently, earning a loud bark of laughter and a hard shove from Aila.

“That only happened _once_ , gimme a break!” the doctor giggled, blushing. “I can't believe you even remember that. I only ever mentioned it that one time a few months back!”

Leigh grinned widely, unable to contain her laughter at the playful banter. It felt like it'd been far too long since she was able to have a real laugh with Aila. The doctor seemed to be of the same mindset as she continued to giggle, before relaxing back on the sofa with a content sigh.

“Why're you so surprised at me being a _girl_ girl, anyway?” Leigh asked her, still laughing a bit. “It's what I went to college for. I'm a professional, you know!”

“A professional _girl?_ ” Aila teased, raising her eyebrow.

Leigh pulled a face and pulled the laptop towards her. “A professional hair stylist, make-up artist-”

“I _know_ , I was pulling your leg,” Aila giggled.

“I used to be beautiful,” Leigh joked, pretending to sound hurt and tragic. “Before all this started, I _always_ wore make-up. Rachel was right about one thing; I _have_ let myself go.” Leigh stared at her own reflection on the laptop screen, taking note of the dark circles around her eyes and lack of make-up. She ran a hand through her hair. “ _God,_ my roots need doing...”

“I thought you _hated_ your haircut?” Aila asked.

Leigh grinned. “Yeah well, Rachel said she disapproves of it, so it grew on me. I think I'm gonna keep it.”

Aila laughed. “Maybe we _should_ go to this party...thing,” she said thoughtfully. “Don't you think we deserve some kind of break?”

Leigh sat down next to Aila, typing away on the laptop. “It _would_ be nice...just as long as we don't forget what we're there for and we're damn careful. Would we even be allowed in?”

“No idea. Can you imagine Rat in a _dress?_ ” Aila giggled, and Leigh laughed out loud.

“Can you imagine Rat _dancing?_ ” she added.

“Oh God,” Aila managed between laughs. “Now _there's_ a funny thought.”

Suddenly, music started playing from the laptop. Aila stared, and Leigh grinned sheepishly. She had pulled up Youtube, and 'Just Dance' by Lady Gaga greeted their ears.

“What the hell?” Aila asked, still laughing.

“I _loved_ this song when it first came out!” Leigh explained. “It always makes me wanna dance.”

Leigh began singing along with the words and dancing in her seat, while Aila watched in disbelief. It as extremely unusual seeing the hairdresser so laid back. Even Charles and Bianca looked up and came trotting over, wagging their tails curiously.

Aila laughed at how confused the dogs looked, and then stood up dance with Leigh. She wasn't very good at it, but she was having too much fun to really care. It was nice to be able to have fun even in the midst of such a dark situation.

Neither clone noticed the door to the apartment opening and two figures walking in. Rat and Katja could only stare as Aila and Leigh danced together, both seemingly unaware of the world around them.

“As if _you_ weren't acting strange enough...now these two are drunk and all...” Rat muttered, her voice strained and quiet.

The dogs glanced over and ran up to their owner, overjoyed to see her again. Rat smiled and petted them both lightly. The hacker's throat was still bandaged up, but it wasn't nearly as painful anymore. Katja said nothing and raised an eyebrow, waiting for one of the two oblivious women to take notice of them. She was tired and unimpressed.

Aila was the first to take notice, suddenly pausing her movements to look at the other clones with wide eyes. Unfortunately, Leigh wasn't aware of the sudden stop and ended up tripping over Aila's foot. They collapsed to the floor with a loud crash.

“Fuck's sake...” Leigh groaned.

“Are you ever _not_ on the beer?” Rat asked in a low voice.

Leigh responded with another groan as she and Aila helped each other stand up. They grinned at the sight of Rat, both relieved to see her. “Don't have to be drinking to be having fun,” Aila said defensively. She reached for the laptop to silence the music. “Welcome back, Rat.”

“Yeah, it's good to see you out of that place,” Leigh told her, approaching the hacker cautiously. “How're you doing?”

“Better than I _have_ been,” Rat managed. She eyed Leigh nervously, a concerned expression on her face at the fact Leigh was still grinning. “God, you're not gonna hug me again, are you?”

Leigh held back a laugh and held her hands up to signal Rat was safe. “We're just glad you're out of there,” she insisted.

“We have a few things to fill you in on,” Aila spoke now. “But come sit down first.”

“About you two losing the plot while I've been away?” Rat managed. She crossed the room to sit on the sofa. “Yeah...just when I thought you couldn't get any weirder...” She managed a small smile, causing the others to laugh.

“About Beth and Danielle, actually,” Leigh teased, still grinning.

Katja, however, seemed strangely serious, and Aila remembered why when the German cast her an irritated glance. Rat didn't seem to notice Katja's bad mood growing worse by the second. She was too busy fussing Charles and Bianca, clearly very happy to see them.

“Give her time,” Aila said quietly to Katja after pulling her aside. “She only _just_ got back.”

Katja grumbled something to herself and hastily ripped off her coat. She tossed it onto the nearest armchair and paced restlessly, while Leigh and Aila watched. “I am going for a bath. You two can explain zings,” Katja muttered before vanishing from the room.

Leigh's expression switched from amusement to confusion when she noticed Katja's mood. Why was Katja so angry about this? Even if Rat _did_ have schizophrenia like Leekie said, she was still the same person they'd always known.

When Katja was out of earshot, Rat looked between the other two clones with a more serious expression. “OK, what's up with her?” she asked them flatly. “She barely talked or even _looked_ at me the entire way back here.”

Aila and Leigh glanced at each other uncertainly. Should they bring it up now? Or wait until Katja was back so they could all discuss it together?

Rat's eyes darted between the two, easily seeing they did in fact know what was up. She couldn't help but narrow her eyes slightly in annoyance. “ _TALK_ , dancing weirdoes. What's going on here?” she snapped at them, though her voice faltered when she raised it.

Aila sighed, rubbing the back of her head. “OK, yes, something is going on, but wait until Katja gets back from her bath, please? We'll discuss it as a group. We really do have things to talk about before that though...about Beth and Janika...”

Aila told Rat about their latest Skype call with Beth, and how they were considering attempting to trick Helena into going to Canada. Then she talked about Janika, her laptop, and the possibility of DYAD taking it.

Rat raised her eyebrows. “Then it's a good thing we only ever discussed important issues via video call,” she responded. “It's not like there's any chat history for them to read...nothing of importance, anyway...but yes, I agree we're going to have to be very careful...have you decided on a property in France yet?”

“No,” Leigh told her. “Though we were considering our options for meeting Danielle. There's this...party thing taking place,” she said, looking at Aila as she spoke. “In Paris. Danielle is meant to be there.”

She and Aila explained all they had talked about before Rat and Katja arrived. Rat wore a strangely blank expression, as though thinking carefully about their next steps. Leigh and Aila were eager to hear her thoughts, but they didn't rush her.

It wasn't long before Katja emerged again. Her hair was damp, and she was wearing clean clothes. She coughed once or twice and flopped onto the sofa, hugging Charles close to her as she avoided looking at anyone else. Rat gazed steadily at her sister. She seemed to forget about Danielle. Katja distracted her completely.

“Out with it,” Rat demanded sternly.

“Out vith vat?” Katja muttered, using Charles as a living pillow. He didn't seem to mind at all, laying his head on his paws as he cuddled up to the German clone.

“Never you mind 'out with what',” Rat said evenly. “Out with whatever's gotten you in a bad mood. It's not like you...and it's weird to see you like this. You don't usually keep things bottled up either, so talk to me,” she said with a more gentle tone, almost forgetting for a moment that Aila and Leigh were there.

Aila and Leigh looked between the two uneasily, but decided to remain silent for now and instead sat down in chairs beside one another.

Katja raised her head slightly and glanced over, her expression hard to read. She locked eyes with Rat for several moments, before turning her gaze away again. “And I suppose you alvays share everyzing vith me too, ja?” she muttered, the bitterness in her voice clear.

“Huh?” Rat asked, entirely lost now. “Right...I've obviously done something to upset you, so just spit it out,” she sighed. She had no energy for guessing games tonight.

Katja stood and vanished from the room for a few moments, and Aila guessed she'd gone to get the bottle of Clozaril. She was proven right when Katja returned and silently handed the bottle to Rat, who looked more than a little alarmed. Katja returned to her former position on the sofa to hug Charles again.

Rat sighed quietly and set the bottle aside, her hand shaking slightly. “I can explain...” she mumbled softly, looking down at the floor.

Leigh spoke up then. “Look, we're not gonna judge or anything, but the last time we asked you about this...well, it kind of seems like Leekie was telling the truth and _you_ were lying...we just want to understand why.”

“I didn't _lie_...technically...” Rat muttered, not looking at anyone. “I just...didn't want to tell the truth. And Leekie _twists_ things to no end anyways. But fine...the blunt and honest answer is yes; five years ago, I _was_ clinically diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.”

Rat hated talking about this, but she was smart enough to realise if she wanted any chance of keeping the trust of the other three clones, she had to explain fully and honestly this time.

“Vhy did you keep zis from _me?_ ” Katja asked. She no longer sounded angry; just hurt. “Do you _still_ not trust me enough to know zat I vill stay vith you zrough anyzing?”

Rat shook her head, staring at her sister desperately. “It's not like that...look, when we first met, I _didn't_ trust, and I didn't want to tell you anything about me...especially this, but now...I don't know...it just never seemed like the right time to bring it up...though realistically I know I kept making excuses to _not_ to bring it up, because I was afraid of losing you somehow...I _do_ trust you, Katja, more than anyone. I hope you know that.

“Though,” the hacker continued, addressing everyone now, “personally, I don't believe that diagnosis was correct anyways. After it happened, I did a lot of reading about the condition, and a lot...of things...don't add up...” she said, though her voice was growing weaker by the second from speaking so much already.

“Maybe you should rest and talk about this more later,” Aila suggested, worried about Rat hurting herself by pushing her voice too hard. The Swiss clone shook her head stubbornly. Even though it was very obviously straining on her healing throat, the hacker was determined to finish her explanation.

She was forced to pause for several minutes though, to allow her vocal cords to rest before continuing. She spoke in short bursts with frequent pauses in between. “The two main symptoms of schizophrenia...are hallucinations...and delusions...but I'm _fairly_ certain...that I've never been delusional...I stand by...what I said before...it's not paranoia...when people really _are_ out to get you.

“After moving...into my library...I _did_ start to...hallucinate for a time...but...I think the hallucinations...were caused by something else...dunno what really, but...even when it was happening...I _knew_ what I was seeing...couldn't possibly be real...in genuine cases of the disorder...the patient can't tell the difference between...between what's real...and what's not...also...schizophrenia is...a genetic disorder...if I really had it...other clones would too...and no other clone...has ever had that...put in their files...as far as I can tell...that's another reason why...I think something else was going on...though the anti-psychotics...made the hallucinations go away...so that's why I keep with them...I didn't tell any of you lot...when you asked before...because...well...” she trailed off for a moment, seeming to be struggling on the words, though not because of the pain in her throat. “Because I...was _scared_...I was scared...that you guys...would think I was crazy...or unreliable...when I'm _not_...” she managed to say before her voice cut out completely. Rat panted lightly from the effort it had taken to say so much at once.

Then, she sighed hugged her knees close to her chest, and refused to look at anyone. It was hard enough admitting she'd ever been diagnosed with such a severe disorder, whether it was true or not, though she found it equally hard to admit that she _did_ care what the other clones thought of her.

Katja stared for a while. She stared with a blank expression, much more like her own than the distressed and irritable one the others had seen on her face the last few weeks...but it was disturbing. She looked almost defeated.

“I am tired,” she said in a hushed voice after a while. “I must take nap.”

Stunned, Aila, Rat and Leigh watched as Katja threw herself off the sofa and left for the bedroom. Aila darted after her quickly, refusing to believe the German could be so cold, even if she wasn't in the best state of mind lately. Rat and Leigh strained their ears as they tried to listen for snippets of conversation between Katja and Aila, but to no avail. Rat looked distraught.

Leigh shifted nervously, feeling tense. “She'll come around,” she told Rat quietly. “I...we're _really_ worried about her. It's just her illness talking, I'm sure of it...and the stress of all this...”

Rat said nothing and still didn't look at Leigh.

Leigh frowned a bit and swallowed hard. “For what it's worth,” she continued anxiously. “ _I_ believe you. I know out of the three of us my word means the least, but...” Leigh trailed off. Rat looked up at her now, slightly surprised.

Without another word, Leigh rushed from the room to help Aila talk sense into Katja. Rat numbly stood and made her way to the door of the apartment complex, needing some air and space, her eyes stinging with tears as she left.

This type of reaction was exactly what she was afraid of, and why she didn't want to talk about her possible disorder at _all_. Making her way up to the roof of the building, the hacker found a sheltered spot to sit down. She allowed herself to break down and cry in the solitude of the cold moonlight.


	23. Chapter 22

“What the _HELL_ is your problem?”

Aila couldn't help but glare down at Katja as the German ignored her, lying on the inflatable bed with her back to the doctor. The room was just large enough for the three clones to share while they had to. It was cramped, but nobody minded since it was a temporary arrangement.

“How on _Earth_ could you be so cold towards your own sister?” Aila continued on, not about to let Katja have her way. “Especially when she's only been back five minutes! How can you _possibly_ see fit to go and hurt her like that when you've spent every single night at the hospital for the last several weeks? What happened to actually _showing_ you care, because I know you do!”

She couldn't help feeling angry. Katja was acting like a child throwing a tantrum, and Rat didn't deserve it after everything she'd been through.

“I am tired,” Katja repeated for what must have been the tenth time. “Vee discuss zis later.”

“We'll discuss this _NOW!_ ” Aila ordered. She made to slam shut the bedroom door, but it bounced back open quickly by a puzzled Leigh and almost smacked Aila in the face. “Shit!”

“Sorry,” Leigh said sincerely. “Erm...” She wasn't sure what to say. Seeing and hearing Aila lose her cool was as strange as Katja's irrational behaviour. Leigh stepped into the room and gently closed the door.

Katja still did not budge. “Go avay,” she told them both.

“We're not going anywhere until we sort this out,” Aila told her. “Go and talk to your sister!”

“She's _really_ upset, Katja,” Leigh tried to reason. “You don't _honestly_ believe Leekie over her, do you?”

“I never said I _did!_ ” Katja shouted now. She jumped from the bed and rounded on the other clones, her hands balled into fists. Leigh instinctively took a step back, but Aila stayed put. “Of _course_ I believe Rat!”

“Then what's the _problem?_ ” Leigh asked.

“ _Nothing,_ ” Katja insisted. “I vill talk to her _later._ ”

Aila stubbornly folded her arms and raised her eyebrows. “So you're gonna be a hypocrite now, are you?”

“Vat?”

“You're always moaning at the rest of us not to be stubborn and be open about things,” Aila continued. “And now you're doing exactly the opposite.”

“Rat needs to know you believe her, Katja,” Leigh said, trying to maintain a calm tone of voice. “Do you think she needs this after what she's been through?”

“Do you think _I_ need _ANY of zis?_ ” Katja bellowed suddenly. She showed them her hand briefly, which was smothered in blood. Aila's expression softened. Katja must have coughed it up when she left the room. “I am _trying_...so very hard...”

“We know,” Aila whispered.

Katja was on her knees in an instant. She sobbed into her hands. “I am _dying,_ ” she cried, unable to control it. “I cannot do zat to Rat...”

Leigh trembled a bit to see Katja like this. She willed herself to approach and drop to the ground in front of Katja, pulling her into a tight hug. It was hard not to cry herself. Aila knelt down beside them, tightly hugging Katja as well. It broke her heart to see the German woman so defeated and distraught. Guilt hit her for shouting at Katja.

The two clones continued to hold and comfort Katja as she cried, unable to stop now the floodgates had opened. Even the dogs wandered over and pressed themselves against the group, both seeming to understand that something was wrong. Eventually, the German calmed down a bit, and Aila quietly handed her a tissue.

“I am sor-”

“Don't,” Aila said gently but firmly. “You have nothing to be sorry for. _I'm_ sorry for pushing you. I wasn't thinking about how hard this must be for you. I didn't stop to realise even for a minute how much you've been dealing with lately, with the sickness and us running all over Europe...I can't imagine how you've held it together this long...”

Leigh nodded in agreement. “Yeah.”

Katja closed her eyes. “I am not afraid of dying...not really...everybody dies eventually, so zere is no point vorrying about ven it vill happen. I'm afraid of vat vill happen to Ratty ven I am gone. She vill be all alone vith no family left. I am vorried about vat zis vill do to her. Ven vee met, she vas a mess. I do not vant her to become like zat again. Becoming angry vas not zee right thing to do, I know, but...I zought maybe pushing her avay vould make it easier on her in zee long run, but I only hurt her in trying zis. I vill apologise and explain.”

“Katja...” Aila began, but stopped quickly. She waited until the German looked at her before continuing. “I noticed before we left Switzerland the two of you were being more distant with each other, and I can't imagine how hard this must be for you both, but...wouldn't it be better to make the most of the time you have together rather than isolating yourselves?”

Katja nodded. “Ja, you are right. Vee have both been being daft because vee are both scared, but I do not vant to lose her. I do not vant to leave her all alone, but I know enough about zis to know vat is going to happen...though I do not vant us to part on bad terms, so I vill make sure to make zis right.”

Leigh frowned, looking around. She realised suddenly that Rat was nowhere around. She hoped the hacker hadn't gone outside. She was still worried about Helena coming back to attack again.

“Shit,” Leigh breathed. She let go of Katja and stood up shakily. “I'll be back...I just...”

She left Aila and Katja alone, walking numbly along the halls of the apartment for a sign of Rat. The hacker's laptop caught Leigh's eye for a second. Suddenly, she remembered what she and Aila discussed moments before Leekie and Rachel turned up. If DYAD couldn't help, perhaps visiting Beth's scientist friend directly was their best bet...

But Danielle still had to be warned. “Shit,” Leigh whispered again. Katja wasn't going to last much longer like this...and Leigh refused to let her die. Katja _needed_ help.

Would the four of them have to split up to make sure Danielle was still warned? Leigh was sure the others wouldn't even consider it.

The hairdresser left the apartment quickly to look for Rat. It surprised her to find the Swiss clone on the roof, quietly crying to herself in the shadows. She looked freezing.

“H-hey,” Leigh began anxiously. “You shouldn't be out here. Will you come inside?”

Rat jumped slightly and glanced over at Leigh, surprised to see her. She considered staying put, but she had to admit she _was_ rather cold. The hacker sighed quietly and stood as she wiped her eyes, deciding to follow Leigh numbly.

When the two re-entered the room, Katja wasted no time rushing over and enveloping Rat in a tight hug, making the hacker squeak slightly in surprise at the sudden turn of events.

“I am _sorry_ , schwester.”

Rat returned the gesture, wondering what had happened while she was out of the room. Katja led her over to the sofa to sit and quietly explained what she told Aila and Leigh. Rat frowned and pulled Katja into another tight hug, silently letting her know her apology was accepted.

Aila watched the two for a moment before walking into the kitchen, allowing the sisters a few minutes to themselves. The doctor put on the kettle to make tea and coffee. She glanced over her shoulder to see Leigh behind her.

“Hey,” Aila greeted her with a nod.

“Hey,” Leigh responded tiredly. “Hopefully they're gonna be OK...”

“I think they will be,” Aila told her with a small smile. “Something on your mind?” she asked after a moment, seeing the troubled look on Leigh's face.

Leigh sighed softly as she sat down at the table. “I'm worried about Katja's health. I don't think she can put up with the stress of running around for much longer. She needs help, but the only one who possibly could help her is Beth's scientist friend. At the same time, we still need to warn Danielle...”

Aila frowned. “Yeah...I'm worried as well. There really isn't a lot I can do to help polyps forming on her lungs. We don't have the right equipment here to deal with it, but what can we do? You know she'll never agree to go see the scientist while we're dealing with Danielle. We can ask her and Rat about it tomorrow...maybe come up with some kind of plan. After everyone's had a good rest and is hopefully feeling better, that is...”

\--

That night was a restless one. Leigh and Aila had agreed to move into the living room and sleep on the sofas to make more space in the bedroom for Rat and Katja. Bianca and Charles wandered the apartment as they pleased, occasionally creeping into the living room for a drink of water, and settling down to sleep wherever they felt comfortable.

Leigh did not sleep. She had been sitting on the edge of her sofa for almost an hour, while Aila appeared fast asleep opposite her. The photo album Janet had given Leigh sat in her hands, though the hairdresser couldn't decide if she wanted to look through it again or not.

A creaking sound caught Leigh's attention, followed by the figure of Katja shuffling into view from the door frame. The light from the lamp Leigh had left on lit up Katja's tired features.

“Can't sleep either?” Leigh asked quietly enough as to not disturb Aila.

Katja shrugged. “Coughing fit. I am getting vater.”

Leigh watched Katja enter the kitchen area to find a glass from the cupboard. She filled it up with water from the tap and took a few sips. Katja then wandered over to Leigh and stared at Aila for a moment.

“She sleeps easy,” she commented.

Leigh hesitated. “Sheer exhaustion, most likely,” she offered.

“She has bad dreams,” Katja added. “I hear her sometimes.”

Leigh nodded. “Me too,” she admitted.

They were both silent while Katja drank her water. When she was finished, she headed back to the kitchen to set the glass down on the kitchen counter, and then made her way over to Leigh again.

“I am sorry for earlier,” she said.

Leigh frowned. “No, don't be. You're bound to have bad days. You put up with _our_ bullshit often enough. You _and_ Aila.”

Katja managed a small smile. She glanced at Aila again and nodded. Just as she turned to go back to her bedroom, Leigh looked around at her quickly.

“Katja...”

“Hm?”

Leigh hesitated, clenching her fists together tightly. “Do you ever think about Cecile?”

A pause followed. Katja nodded. “Often,” she admitted.

“Do you ever wish...”

“Ja,” Katja answered, guessing what Leigh wanted to ask before she even asked it. “DYAD separated us. I never knew her because of it, and I could be angry...but there is no point. Rat is angry enough for both of us.”

Leigh nodded sadly. She averted her gaze and stared down at the photo album again. “Rat's lucky to have found you. You're both lucky to have that bond.”

A pause followed. Katja reluctantly shuffled around to sit beside Leigh, frowning a bit. “Leigh,” she said after a moment. “Are you _serious_ zat you do not care much for Rachel? Zat you have never been close?”

Leigh resisted a sigh as she stared at the floor. “She's always been difficult and a pain in the arse, ever since we were tiny...but there was a time when we were _very_ close,” she explained slowly and quietly. “I just...have a hard time admitting that, even to myself.”

“Vhy?”

Leigh shrugged. “Because I _forget,_ ” she whispered. She didn't meet Katja's gaze as she sat back slightly and rolled up her top to reveal her stomach. A long, thin scar was present on the right side of Leigh's abdomen.

Katja hesitated. “Appendicitis?” she guessed. Leigh nodded, and so did Katja. “I see. My adopted brother had zis also.”

“Did he? Happened to me when I was sixteen,” Leigh told Katja. She pulled her top back down to cover her stomach. “Rachel was with me at the time, and it got really bad...she got me to the hospital...practically saved my life.” Leigh couldn't help grinning rather sadly at the memory. “She was so scared, Katja...even more than I was. After that, whenever I saw her...well, we'd never been that close before, ever. It was like I really _did_ have a sister, almost...but she started to change when DYAD recruited her, and I started to forget.” She opened up the photo album to gaze at one of the pictures. “She's not that girl anymore.”

Katja gave a brief nod, but she took the album from Leigh and gently closed it. “She _can_ be, if you show her how. She still cares.” Katja  held Leigh's gaze for a while before handing the album back to her. Leigh took it and gave an appreciative smile. “DYAD did to you vat zey did to me and Rat,” Katja added when she stood up. “But it is only too late for you and your sister if you _let_ it be. There ez still a chance. It vould be a shame to let DYAD take zat avay too.”

Leigh couldn't respond. She wasn't sure what to think. She wanted to tell Katja to hold on, never give up, and keep the hope that she could get better; she wanted to explain her plan about splitting up to find Beth's scientist friend...but Katja was wandering back down the hallway towards the bedroom before Leigh knew it. Sighing to herself, Leigh decided to bring it up in the morning instead.

She put the photo album in her bag, and lay down to attempt to sleep.

\--

The following morning, everyone seemed relatively calmer than they had been the last several days. Aila and Rat sat on the sofa in the pale light of the window. Aila was removed the bandages on Rat's throat in order to have a look at the wound, clean it, and re-wrap it.

“This actually isn't looking too bad,” Aila commented, carefully inspecting the area to detect any sign of infection. “I don't know if you'll need to wear bandages all the time anymore. It might heal faster if we start exposing it to the air, as long as you're careful.”

The skin on Rat's throat had fused back together and was healing nicely, even though it was still pink and tender-looking. Aila suspected the thin dark line marked on her skin would become a permanent scar, but she didn't tell Rat that just yet. There was always a chance it would fade as it healed.

The doctor applied the medicine they'd been given by the hospital, and decided to leave the bandages off for a bit to let the skin get some air. Rat gently touched the area, feeling the tender skin to be very sensitive still. She'd be sure to be careful and not let anything touch the area while it was unprotected.

“Thanks, doc,” she told Aila quietly.

“No problem.”

Leigh rushed into the room all of a sudden, gathering her belongings and packing them all away. “You sure you're up for travelling, Rat?” she asked.

“For the thousandth time, _yes,_ ” Rat insisted.

“Good,” Leigh said. “Where's Katja – I need to talk to you all – _Katja!_ ” she called loudly.

Katja entered looking confused. “Vat? I am trying to pack.”

“Leave it for a minute,” Leigh told her. “Everyone, just...shush - I need to say something.”

Aila remained silent, knowing what Leigh was going to say. The hairdresser explained her concerns about going to Canada to track down Beth's scientist friend, earning a surprised look from Rat.

“Zat vill not go down vell vith Beth,” Katja said instantly.

“But you're getting worse by the day,” Leigh told her seriously. “I just thought-”

“Vee are so _close_ ,” Katja interrupted. “Vee get Danielle's samples and _zen_ vee vill go meet Beth in person; how's zat? Vee can give zem to her personally. Zere is no use in us splitting up now.”

Leigh felt tense, but she nodded in agreement. The last thing she wanted was to cause another argument. She looked at Aila for confirmation, who also nodded to signal she agreed.

“In that case,” Rat spoke, getting to her feet, “let's finish packing and leave this place. The sooner we get to France, the sooner this is over with.”

\--

“Dress shopping? _Dress shopping?_ Are you serious?”

Rat stared in disbelief at Aila and Leigh as they headed for their hotel in France. The journey there had been relatively easy, much to their relief, and now the clones were walking through the streets with the dogs at their side.

“Shouldn't we be focusing on buying a place to _live?_ ” Rat spoke again when the others said nothing.

It seemed Leigh and Aila were too distracted by their phones to pay much attention to the hacker. Aila was searching for the best shops near to them, and Leigh was speaking enthusiastically about the dresses themselves.

Katja, who was walking next to Rat, raised her eyebrows. “Ratty has a point,” she insisted. “Vee need to find a place and get out of hotel sooner razer zan later.”

“Yes, yes, we will,” Aila assured her, dismissing Katja's comment with a wave of her hand. “But honestly, this party _is_ important. If we're going to meet Danielle there, we need to make sure we blend in.”

“We're four women sharing Danielle's face,” Rat said bluntly. “Sure, we're going to blend in _perfectly._ ”

“Maybe we can get some of those masquerade masks or something,” Leigh suggested thoughtfully. “Or would that make us stand out even more?”

“It'd be better than us showing our faces,” Aila responded, shrugging. “Or maybe it's better if only one of us goes.”

“And have the rest miss out on the party?” Leigh complained. Aila giggled, but Rat rolled her eyes and shook her head.

“Does anyone even know how the heck we're meant to get _in?_ Don't we need tickets or something?”

“Well... maybe you can get us in? Like change the guest list or something?” Aila suggested.

Rat rolled her eyes. “Yes, lovely plan. What if the list is on paper? You people can't always expect me to do _everything_ for you,” she grumbled, though Aila and Leigh had gone back to giggling like schoolgirls.

Katja could only shake her head as she glanced at Rat. “These two are such girly girls,” she commented.

“Pains, more like,” Rat muttered back to her.

“Oh lighten up. We'll get everything sorted when we get to the hotel,” Leigh said, glancing back at the others.

“Oh look, they _do_ listen occasionally,” Rat said dryly.

Leigh smirked slightly, shaking her head as she turned her attention back to her phone. “Hey Rat, how do you say 'dress shop' in French?”

Rat stared at her. “Oh taire vous stupide d'un paysan.”

Leigh blinked. “How do you spell that?”

Rat glared and said nothing, unwilling to play along with these stupid games. She had a feeling Leigh was just winding her up at this point. She spotted the hotel at the end of the street, looking forward to sitting down for a bit and looking into properties for sale in the area. She had a feeling they'd be expensive, though. Paris wasn't known for being a cheap city to live in after, all.

\--

The clones' stay in Paris was rather laid back. It wasn't long before they found a place to move into, which was big enough to accommodate them and the dogs properly. They couldn't deny their funds were beginning to run low, though. It was hardly surprising with how far they'd travelled and how many places they'd paid to stay in over the last few months.

“Let's a rob a bank,” Katja suggested one morning a few days after arriving.

“Yeeeeah, good luck with that,” Aila responded. She was once again on Katja's laptop, browsing for dress shops nearby. “Seriously though, I'll be glad when this is over. Maybe we can stay in Canada _permanently_ when we get there. Get a friggin' job or something, if it's safe to...”

“Mhm,” Leigh mumbled, barely listening. “We have _just_ enough for dresses and things if we're all gonna go to this party. Hell knows how we're even gonna get in...”

“Use your ninja skills,” Aila teased. Leigh rolled her eyes. “I'm sure we'll figure it out once we're there.”

The three of them spent the afternoon shopping for dresses, while Rat stayed behind to update Beth and work on a plan to get close to Danielle. She refused to join in with their discussions on hair and make-up, and she rolled her eyes in disapproval to see they'd all purchased masks to wear as well.

“I hope you lot remember we're not going there for _fun,_ ” she reminded them.

“Lighten up, Rat,” Katja told her. “Vee got you a mask also.”

“Won't look right without a dress though,” Aila commented, smirking. “Really, are you just gonna sneak in there dressed in your casual clothes?”

“I _have_ a dress already; that's _why_ I didn't go shopping with you loonies,” Rat snapped. “ _Someone_ had to talk to Beth, anyway. She wasn't impressed with our latest plan, but she seems a bit more relaxed now we're finally in France.”

Leigh raised an eyebrow. “Woah, woah, back up. _You_ have a dress? When did you get a dress?” she asked.

Rat ignored her wholly, instead bringing up something on her laptop to show them. “We'll be able to get in through the front door anyways. I managed to work some magic and get false names on the guest list for us all. Just _don't_ forget to keep an eye out for Danielle. Maybe try to get her away from the crowds if possible, to talk to her. We probably shouldn't approach her right out in case she freaks.”

“Yeah, that's true,” Aila agreed.

She was also curious about Rat's dress too, but she didn't say anything about it. The party would take place the following evening. Even though she knew they had to stay on task and keep an eye out for Helena, the doctor couldn't help looking forward to the event, and hoped they all could at least have a little bit of fun before they had to get back to life.

\--

The following afternoon, Leigh set up a mirror and bought a large make-up kit in order to do up all of her sisters, and Aila couldn't help feeling amused at how giddy the English clone was over it. If she thought Leigh was enthusiastic just talking about it, it was nothing compared to her excitement at the prospect of actually doing them all up.

“I'm _doing_ my roots, too,” Leigh chatted away as she pulled things from the make-up bag. “Might give myself a bit of a trim, while I'm at it – last time I cut it, I was in such a hurry to meet Aila that I effed it right up, but I have a bit more time now, so I can make it look better – hey Katja, didn't you buy hair dye too?”

“Ja,” Katja answered, shrugging. “I vant my hair _red._ I figured vhy not, since you are doing yours.”

“We're not supposed to be attracting attention to ourselves though,” Rat groaned tiredly. She was lying lazily on the sofa with Bianca sitting on top of her. “And you want to dye your hair _bright red?_ ”

“It's not zat strange,” Katja told her. “Besides, I fancy a change. It needs cutting also. I am starting to look like _Leigh._ ”

Leigh stuck her tongue out at Katja, who smirked a bit. It was true; the two of them had had similar hair from the day they met, and Katja's had grown a lot over the last few months. Looking back, it was easy to see how Lucas had mistaken Leigh for Katja the first time he saw her.

“OK, who's first? Aila, get over here; I'll do you first. Katja, go do your hair while you wait, and I'll cut it in a bit.”

“Yes boss,” Katja told Leigh. She got to her feet and hurried to the bathroom, locating her hair dye product as she went. Aila shifted towards Leigh and sat down in front of her.

“Since we're going to be wearing masks, is make-up that important?” Rat asked lazily.

“Oh shush,” Aila and Leigh told her. Rat just rolled her eyes and shook her head.

“OK, so I'm not gonna go over the top with the make-up,” Leigh began enthusiastically, “mainly because I couldn't afford to buy so much, and sometimes less is more – and no, you're NOT having pink eye shadow, so don't even ask; it won't look _right_ with your complexion; not _bright_ pink anyway...I could do a very subtle pink, if you _really_ want, but you have to consider how it goes with your dress too-”

Leigh was quite sure neither Aila nor Rat were listening as she rambled on, but she couldn't help herself. She instinctively played with Aila's hair, thinking of ways to style it, or even cut it. “What about your hair? Any ideas? You have such long hair. I could do _so_ _much_ with it-”

“I can't believe how _excited_ you are over this!” Rat interrupted, looking vaguely amused now.

“Hey, I've missed this!” Leigh told her defensively. “OK, so Aila...any ideas?”

Aila smirked, more than amused. “I don't know the first thing about hair, love. I usually just wash it and leave it at that. I trust ya, so just do whatever, though no going crazy with the cutting. I like having it long.”

Rat watched in amusement as Leigh fiddled with Aila's hair, looking every bit like a kid in a candy store. The hacker relaxed back on the sofa and hugged Bianca. She supposed she really couldn't blame the other clones for looking forward to the party.

Still, she knew she should start getting ready as well. Bianca whined in protest as Rat sat up slowly, clearly not wanting to move. Rat smirked slightly, giving the fluffy dog another hug before moving her away. The hacker stretched and made her way upstairs to shower, before taking her dress out of the closet where it'd been hanging up. While the other clones were out buying their dresses, she'd taken hers to a local dry-cleaners after contacting Beth to make sure it was presentable.

Rat approached the mirror and lightly touched the scar on her throat. While the area was far less tender now, the thin line where she'd been cut showed no signs of getting any lighter. Rat frowned, the sight of the scar forcing images of Helena to flash before her mind's eye. She shuddered slightly. Helena was one clone she'd never be able to forget. The blonde's feral eyes would be forever burned into her memory.

Rat wondered if there was anything she could use to make the scar less noticeable, though she knew finding that answer would involve consulting the internet, which she really didn't have time for...or consulting Leigh.

Rat grumbled slightly to herself, knowing which option would probably be more effective. Throwing on a clean pair of street clothes for now, the hacker left her dress lying across her bed and went downstairs. She reluctantly approached Leigh, who was sweeping up bits of hair off of the floor. Aila and Katja were nowhere around, and Rat figured they were getting ready in their own rooms.

“Got a minute?” she asked.

“Yeah, what is it?” Leigh asked. She continued sweeping and binned the stray hairs while Rat watched her uncomfortably. Leigh raised her eyebrows when Rat still didn't say anything. “What is it?” she asked again.

“I'd like your opinion on something,” Rat managed in spite of herself.

Leigh froze for a split second. “Right...” she responded, apparently unconvinced. She watched as Rat's hand found its way to her throat of its own accord, her fingers lightly touching the scar.

“How's best to cover this up?”

Leigh stared. Rat stared back, refusing to appear fazed or self conscience in any way. She tried to make the question sound casual, and for a moment, Leigh believed her...but she was sure she saw a glint of nervousness on the hacker's face, if only for a second.

“It really doesn't look that bad, Rat,” Leigh tried to assure her.

“That's not what I asked,” Rat told her.

Leigh sighed, set down the brush and dustpan, and stood up straight. “There are various creams and ointments you can get to help with scars,” she explained reluctantly. “Some are better than others, but then everyone is different. It's not easy to say what'd work best without you trying a few of them, although if you're wanting to cover it tonight, cream won't work anyway. You _could_ use concealer...but I'm not sure I'd advise it so soon.”

“Why not?” Rat asked.

“It's still healing,” Leigh said with a shrug. “I don't think make-up would mess with it _too_ much, but you can never be too careful. If you really want to cover it, I'd wear a scarf or something, just for tonight. I have hundreds. You can borrow one if you want. I'm bound to have one that'll go with your dress, so it's up to you.”

Rat stared at her for a moment before turning away. “That won't be necessary. Thanks anyway.”

Leigh watched Rat disappear from the room with a frown. She put her make-up away before heading to her own room to get ready. While out shopping, she'd found a dark blue evening gown which was simple in its design, but very pretty and not too expensive. After putting the dress on, Leigh found that she couldn't help feeling giddy again as she applied her own make-up in the mirror.

Aila was more or less ready to go as well. The doctor had selected an elegant black dress as well as a shiny golden necklace, and surprisingly wasn't wearing any pink at all. Leigh grinned at her when she returned to the living room. “Holy _shit. N_ ever thought I'd see the day when you weren't wearing any pink. It's a bit odd,” she teased.

Aila laughed and stuck her tongue out. “Hush you,” she said with a light shove. “Where are Rat and Katja? It's almost time to go.”

“Hell knows,” Leigh shrugged, before grinning again. “Still don't think Rat's gonna actually wear a dress, do you?”

Aila smirked. “Guess we'll see.”

Katja appeared at the staircase, wearing a long, dark red dress. It matched up well with her new hair. Close behind her was Rat, who _was_ in fact wearing a dress. Hers was white silk with a gold trim. It looked fairly old, but well-maintained. Somehow the white colour made Rat appear less pale.

“Woah...that's so pretty!” Aila exclaimed.

Rat nodded in acknowledgement but said nothing. She looked at the clock instead. “We should probably head out soon.”

“Vait von moment,” Katja spoke up. She lifted up her laptop lid and began searching for something. Rat stared, bewildered, wondering what on earth Katja wanted the laptop for at a time like this. “Vee must take a picture.”

A pause followed.

“Are you _serious?_ ” Rat groaned, but Leigh and Aila smiled a bit.

“Oh come on, vhy not? Vee look vonderful.”

Rat found she didn't have the heart to argue with her sister. Anything to give her one night with any sense of normality...

Leigh and Aila gathered around the laptop when Katja gestured for them to do so. She started up the webcam, which wouldn't produce a perfect quality photograph, but nobody had a camera. They were happy enough to let Katja capture the memory.

“Rat,” Katja said, beckoning her sister forward. Rat resisted the urge to roll her eyes and shuffled in awkwardly next to Katja, who held the laptop out at arm's length to fit everyone on the screen. “Smile!”

Katja took the photo and grinned proudly at it. “I vill cherish it forever,” she teased, causing Rat to shake her head in defeat and the others to laugh.

“Let's _go_ already,” Rat insisted. “No more wasting time.”

With that, the Swiss clone walked outside and flagged down a taxi. She hoped this situation with Danielle would be an easy one...but then again, she knew that very few things in their lives were easy.


	24. Chapter 23

Getting into the party was surprisingly easy. Rat spoke to the doorman for them all, who let the clones in without much question, even as they received odd looks from people for wearing masks over their eyes.

The clones tried to ignore it as they entered the building. The place was massive with fancy crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. A large bar was off to one side, and the main dance floor looked to be the size of a football field itself, with sleek, wooden floors and a golden hue from the lights. Many people were already dancing around to what sounded like orchestra music.

“Woah...fancy place...” Aila spoke in awe.

Rat stepped before the other three to get their attention. “OK, so I recommend we split up to try and find Danielle,” she suggested in a quiet voice. “It seems we're here early, so we can decide who's going to cover which area of the building, and-”

“Vere ez zee karaoke?” Katja interrupted loudly. She adjusted her mask a bit to get a better view of the dance floor as she looked around.

Everyone stared at her.

“They're not gonna have karaoke at a fancy pants party like this, you twit,” Leigh told her.

Katja looked vaguely unimpressed. “Vat good ez party vizout _singing?_ ”

“Are you lot even listening to me?” Rat scolded them. “We're not here to draw attention to ourselves, Katja! Singing is out of the question.”

“Dancing?” Aila asked feebly.

“ _No!_ ” Rat snapped, but she closed her eyes and sighed, taking it back instantly. “Yes – _maybe!_ Just...”

“Yeah, Danielle, got it,” Leigh finished for her, whipping around to find the bar. “I'm gonna grab a drink.” She darted towards the bar, and Aila and Katja followed to purchase drinks as well.

Rat reluctantly walked after them. “Listen out for your phones,” she told the clones as they walked. “You've got them in your handbags, right?”

“Ja,” Katja assured her, nodding at the small bag she had chosen to go with her dress. “As soon as von of us sees Danielle, vee vill text each other about it.”

“And let's say we'll meet up by that massive statue-” Rat responded as she nodded at a large statue near the back of the enormous room, “-when she's first been spotted. We'll need to discuss how to approach her, but we need to get to know what she's like first.”

“Oh God,” Leigh moaned. Memories of meeting Aryanna flashed through her mind.

Rat seemed to read Leigh's mind, because she glared at her through her mask. “Just be _sensible_ about it,” she warned the hairdresser evenly. “No dodging behind plant pots, no rushing around like an imbecile. We _don't_ need another incident like at the spa...”

“What happened at the spa?” Aila asked curiously, glancing from Leigh, to Rat and back again.

“Nothing,” Leigh told her defensively. “Just...let's get drinks.”

Aila raised an eyebrow, but didn't push the issue, and just ordered a small glass of wine for herself. Rat leaned against the bar as the rest of them purchased drinks. Her eyes lingered on the orchestra for a moment as she allowed the music to relax her a bit.

Rat glanced over when felt something poking her, finding Katja prodding her arm. She raised an eyebrow at her sister. “What?”

“Vee ball dance now, ja?” the German woman said with a grin.

Rat stared at her, her expression hard to read. Aila and Leigh both thought back to the amusing conversation they'd had before Rat came home from the hospital. They erupted into giggles.

Rat shot them both a glare. “Something _funny?_ ” she asked dryly.

“Nope, nothing,” Leigh assured, waving her off as she sipped at her drink.

Turning her attention back to Katja, Rat sighed. “Come on then...” she muttered, knowing she really shouldn't deny Katja anything. Katja grinned brightly and finished her drink before following Rat out onto the dance floor.

Aila and Leigh watched the two with great curiosity, both shocked as the sisters began a traditional ballroom dance. They moved in time with each other, and in time with the music for a fairly graceful performance.

“Holy shit...am I _high?_ ” Leigh asked as she watched the dance. It amazed her even more that Rat looked as though she was enjoying herself as time progressed.

“You and me _both_ ,” Aila said, equally surprised. The doctor suddenly grinned at Leigh. “Come on, let's go join them! It's still early, so we have time to dance for a bit,” she told her.

For Leigh, dancing like this in such a public place felt surreal. Before she started this journey, going out with friends like this was a common occurrence, and it suddenly dawned on her just how much she missed the normality of her former life...but she was determined to make the most of it. Dancing with her clone sisters was quite an experience. She never imagined they'd be here doing this, and it was even stranger to see Rat laughing as everyone felt more relaxed.

More and more people showed up by the minute. The four women received odd looks and strange glances every so often, and Leigh was sure some of them were talking about their masks, even if she couldn't understand their language.

“What're they saying about us?” she asked Rat once or twice, who apparently couldn't hear anything over the music anyway.

“Shush, I'm dancing,” she told Leigh, dismissing her heartily.

“Perhaps we ought to split up and mingle,” Aila suggested. She stopped dancing to catch her breath and looked around at the crowds. “We can come back and dance in a bit so we don't look suspicious.”

“Fine,” Katja agreed. “So vere vill vee go?”

Aila turned her attention to the back doors of the room, which apparently led out into a massive, fancy garden. “I'll take a wander around outside,” the doctor suggested. “Leigh, you stay close to the bar and the tables, but for heaven's sake, don't get too wasted – Rat, you take the entrance hall and the front of the building. Katja...dance floor?”

“Ja, zis I am happy vith,” Katja agreed. “Don't _vorry_ , I have excellent vision. I can dance and spy togezer.”

“Remember, if you see her, _call the rest of us_ ,” Rat reminded them as she headed for the front of the building. “Same if anything goes wrong.”

“What could possibly go wrong?” Leigh asked, skipping back towards the bar.

“Good luck,” Aila told them all. She left Katja on the dance floor, and gravitated towards the back of the room. She glanced at the crowds as she went, and paused outside in the garden to decide which way to go.

As the night passed by slowly, none of the clones seemed to have any luck spotting their French counterpart. Leigh had taken to randomly wandering around the area she'd been given, before sitting down at the bar to relax for a few minutes. She looked around again and removed her mask for a few moments, finding it uncomfortable as the night went on. The room was very hot, and moving around only caused the hairdresser to sweat, which in turn caused the loose-fitting mask to chaf painfully against her skin.

She was tempted to order another drink. She looked over the selection for something different, even though the options were listed in French and she couldn't understand them. Suddenly, a drink appeared before her. Leigh glanced up and raised an eyebrow in confusion, seeing the bartender offer her a knowing smile.

“Votre commande speciale, Madame Fournier,” he said in hushed tones.

Leigh just stared at him. Did the bartender think _she_ was Danielle? She quickly glanced around, worried of the real Danielle showing up suddenly, before pulling the drink towards her.

“Merci,” she told him, grinning a bit.

The bartender gave a secretive wink before walking off to tend to other customers. Leigh shrugged, deciding it wasn't her problem the bartender had made a mistake. She wasn't about to pass up on a free drink. She took a sip of it. She didn't know what it was, but she found she liked it quite a lot, so she continued drinking as she lazily kept an eye out for Danielle.

Meanwhile, Rat hovered around the entrance hallway, trying not to look suspicious. When more and more people arrived to enter the main room, the hacker hurried to the female toilets, not wanting to be seen just standing around out of fear of strangers approaching and talking to her.

When the sounds of people talking outside faded, she would step back out again, looking around for signs of the French clone, but to no avail. She even dared to wander up to the front doors of the building, as if hoping to pretend she could step out for some air.

It was at that moment her phone rang. She took it from her bag and rushed to a quiet corner to answer it. Her sister's name flashed up.

“Katja?”

“Hallo,” Katja spoke down the phone with the vague sound of music playing in the background. “I zink I have found her.”

“Oh?”

“She came in around five minutes ago, but I cannot get close enough to confirm it _is_ her.”

“How can you not tell?” Rat asked a bit impatiently. She held back an agitated grumble; she must have missed Danielle when she was hiding in the toilets. “She shares our face. What else do you need?”

“Her face is always snogging her boyfriend's face,” Katja told her bluntly, to which Rat just stared into space. “I cannot see her properly vithout breaking zem up somehow.”

“Right...” Rat said tiredly. “Call the other two and get them to meet by the statue. I'll be along shortly.”

Rat ended the call, glanced around to make sure nobody was paying her attention, and slipped back into the main room.

\--

Aila aimlessly wandered around the gardens, glancing up at the clear sky. It was a beautiful night, but the lack of clouds made it cold. The doctor sighed and glanced down at her phone to make sure she hadn't missed any texts, though it seemed like the others were having as much luck as she was.

She frowned, beginning to wonder if Danielle was really here at all. Even though the party was fun and relaxing, she knew nobody would be pleased if they'd wasted all that money on dresses with nothing to show for it. Shivering a bit, the doctor decided to go back inside. Her phone ringing in her bag caught her attention.

“Aila, get over here. We're by the statue,” Rat's voice instructed her as soon as she answered the call.

“You found Danielle?” Aila asked.

“We're not sure yet,” Rat said with a sigh. “Katja _thinks_ she spotted her, but now we're both having trouble. Is Leigh with you?”

“Err,” Aila began, frowning. “No, she's not. She _should_ be by the bar like I told her.”

“Well she's not answering her phone,” Rat responded. “Just...let's meet up; I can barely hear down the phone over the music anyway.”

Rat ended the call. Aila stuffed the phone back into her bag and made a beeline for the statue, dodging crowds of people as she went.

When she arrived at the statue, Rat and Katja were there, but Leigh was nowhere around. Aila tried to look over towards the bar, but couldn't see past the crowds of people well enough to tell if Leigh was still there or not.

“ _Where_ exactly is Leigh?” Rat asked after a moment, looking around. “She _better_ not be pulling another spa ninja bandit stunt...”

Aila and Katja stared at her blankly, neither knowing what she meant by that. Rat shook her head. “Never mind. Katja, where exactly was it where you thought you spotted Danielle?”

“Zat vay,” Katja said, pointing to the middle of the crowds. “But like I said, I am not sure. She has lots of poofy hair and her face vas attached to her boyfriend's face. Surprised she does not suffocate.” She wrinkled her nose slightly in disgust.

“That's a lovely mental image,” Aila said dryly. “So how are we gonna get her alone then?”

Katja shrugged. “Vait until she needs to use zee bathroom?”

“Yeah, like that wouldn't be creepy at all,” Rat said evenly. “Maybe just try to get close to her and wait for an opportunity?”

Aila looked around again. "”You guys stay here and keep brainstorming. I'm gonna go see if I can find Leigh and drag her over. She should have a say in all this as well,” she told them, before carefully making her way over to the bar after dodging through the crowds.

Looking around, she couldn't spot Leigh anywhere, and sighed. “Now where's she gone?” she muttered.

The womens' bathroom was the next most obvious place to look, but Aila couldn't find Leigh in there either. The Scottish clone made her way back out to the main floor, and scanned through the crowds of people, but there were so many it was impossible to spot out a particular person.

Turning around to return to the bar area, Aila bumped into someone, and froze on the spot as she took in the unmistakable face of a clone. The woman was carrying a drink in one hand. Katja hadn't been seeing things. Danielle _did_ have a massive amount of large, curly, blackish-brown hair, and wide, dilated eyes.

“Hé, regardez où vous allez chienne!” Danielle snapped loudly.

“Sorry!” Aila squeaked, quickly darting around the French clone to return to the statue.

When she got back, there was still no sign of Leigh, and Aila couldn't help worrying slightly now. It was unlikely that Helena had struck again, but still, she'd feel a lot better when they located Leigh. For now, there were more important things to discuss.

“Well I didn't find Leigh, but Danielle is definitely here,” she told them, describing what had happened. “She has _massive_ hair – she's wearing a silvery, kind of glittery dress. She went off over there somewhere.” Aila gestured off into the crowd towards the bar.

“And she didn't suspect anything?” Katja asked.

“No. The masks were a good idea, it has to be said,” Aila responded. “Though if she's hovering around the bar area, I hope she won't run into Leigh...I'm a bit worried about her actually...”

“For crying out loud,” Rat groaned as she took out her phone. She called Leigh's number and held it to her ear. She pressed her lips firmly together when the call went to voice mail, subtly shaking her head in agitation. “Leigh, it's Rat. Stop _dossing around_ and _answer your phone_. We've located Danielle and we need to see you.”

“Perhaps we should split up again to find her,” Aila muttered when Rat finished leaving her message.

“ _That_ would be inconvenient,” Rat said curtly. “We're supposed to be finding Danielle, not each other. Let's focus on Danielle and hope we can find Leigh in a bit.”

“Vat if something happened to her?” Katja suggested.

Rat frowned, unwilling to consider the option. “I'll call her again once we've seen Danielle,” she said in a softer voice now. “Come on.”

Finding Danielle was easier this time. Aila pointed her out when they neared the bar. She was surrounded by a small group of people, all of them apparently in awe of the French clone and eager for her attention. Aila guessed her ice skating reputation had something to do with it.

Danielle didn't seem overly interested in conversing with those around her. She had one arm around a tall, handsome man with short dark hair, who was clearly her boyfriend, and she held a large glass of alcohol in the other. She took frequent sips, and often brushed off other people to focus on her boyfriend.

“Oh that's _lovely,_ ” Aila said, repulsed at their public display of affection.

“You see?” Katja commented, shrugging in defeat. “How vee meant to get near _zat?_ I do not zink I _vant_ to get near zat _._ ”

“You mean you're not going to barge over there and introduce yourself shamelessly like you did with Janika?” Aila teased.

Katja shuddered a bit. “I must make exceptions for some zings. _Zis_ is one of zem.”

Rat grumbled something to herself, clearly having trouble deciding what to do. She took out her phone to try Leigh again. “Come on you dipstick, _pick up_ already!”

Rat looked up when Aila nudged her shoulder to get her attention. Rat glanced at Aila to see she and Katja were staring at the bar. She allowed her own gaze to travel there, where an unusual sight greeted her eyes.

Leigh had appeared at the bar, maskless, with a few excited people following close behind her. They were talking quickly in French, and Rat was sure she heard Danielle's name somewhere in their words. Leigh seemed to be ignoring them. She slammed her empty glass on the table, beckoning for the barman to come forward to top her up.

What horrified Aila, Rat and Katja the most, was that the real Danielle was standing mere feet away from Leigh with her back to the bar.

“You have _got_ to be kidding me,” Rat whispered.

“I _told_ her not to get wasted!” Aila said, darting forward to grab Leigh's arm. “Leigh!”

Leigh jumped in shock at the sound of her name, wearing the widest grin Aila had ever seen on her face. “AILA!” Leigh bellowed top lung. She surged forward to hug the other clone, bouncing excitedly as she did. “Oh my God, you won't believe this! I figured out a great trick to get free booze, and just, oh my God, watch this!” she said, her words coming out so fast the doctor could barely understand her.

Aila could only stare in dumbfounded shock as Leigh span around a few times and then turned back to the bar, shouting something in a language Aila could only guess was some distorted attempt at combining English and French.

“Leigh, I think you've had enough. Come on, we need to talk to you, _now!_ ” Aila said carefully, alarmed when the hairdresser immediately downed her drink as fast as she received it.

The doctor stared at her, something in her gut telling her something was wrong. She took a moment to convince herself Leigh had just gotten herself wasted past her normal limit. Aila had never seen her drunk off her face, after all. Maybe the overly happy, erratic display was just what happened when Leigh had too much.

Rat and Katja could only watch the scene unfold, praying to God Leigh and Danielle didn't meet.

“Should we take her home? She's clearly had far too much to drink,” Rat said, obviously wary of what Leigh had done to herself. She couldn't help feeling angry as well, though. Leigh knew how important this was. Why on earth had she gone and gotten so drunk? What was she _thinking_?

“Ja...maybe...” Katja agreed, glancing over to make sure Danielle hadn't seen, but the French clone still seemed far too occupied with her boyfriend. When she turned back to the others, Leigh had skipped off back into the crowds, seeming to be completely oblivious to Aila calling after her.

Aila could only stare helplessly before glancing at the others, having no idea at all what to do. She made her way back over to them. “Well this is just great. Now what? She's gonna get herself seen by Danielle any time now!” she said, painfully aware of the proximity between the two clones in the crowd.

“Mein Gott,” Katja grumbled. She darted after Leigh without hesitation and seized her by the arm.

“Oi!” Leigh told her off loudly. She attempted to shake Katja off, but the German's grip was strong. “Gerroff-”

“Vat ez vrong vith you?” Katja asked her seriously. “Come; vee are too close to Danielle-”

“Danielle?” Leigh almost bellowed.

Katja flinched at the volume in Leigh's voice, worried Danielle might hear. She instinctively whipped around to see what Danielle was doing. The French clone was now making her way towards the bar to get another drink.

“Come _on,_ ” Katja insisted. She pulled Leigh away from the bar, who giggled clumsily and almost tripped as they walked.

“People – people keep thinking _I'm_ Danielle,” she said airily. “That's why the bar dude gave me free drinks...hey, is that her?” Leigh turned her head and eyed the real Danielle, who was now being served by the very man Leigh had received her drinks from. He was looking extremely confused. “Hey – Katja – we should talk to her; she needs to be warned – about the _thing_ – hey, _DANIELLE-_ ”

_  
_ “ _Ssssh!_ ” Katja hissed, silencing Leigh with her hand. “Faaaack, she _heard you_ -”

“Did she?” Leigh asked excitedly, pushing Katja's hand away. Katja pulled Leigh's arm so hard it started to hurt. “Will you _stop that?!_ ”

“Quick, move!” Katja snapped at her. She managed to drag Leigh onto the dance floor while Danielle continued scanning the crowd to see who had called her name.

“Something's not right with her,” Aila told Rat seriously. They were both now watching Leigh and Katja dancing to try and blend into the crowd.

“What else is new?” Rat asked dryly.

“Oh shut up,” Aila told her sharply. “I'm serious!”

“She's probably just _drunk,_ ” Rat reasoned. “Katja can deal with her, anyway. Let's talk to Danielle.”

Rat swallowed her nerves and approached the French clone at the bar, adjusting her mask slightly. She hesitated for a moment. Danielle appeared to be arguing with the barman in very angry French; something about her 'special order' already been given out...the music and chatter of people drowned out Danielle's words so Rat could barely hear them. Still...Rat would rather take her chances with Danielle than deal with a drunken Leigh...

Aila stared, torn between helping Rat and keeping an eye on Leigh – why was she always in the middle? Swearing to herself, Aila hurried after Rat and lingered at a nearby table, just close enough to observe.

“Bonjour...” Rat began cautiously to get Danielle's attention.

“Que voulez-vous, paysan?” Danielle snapped, apparently in a bad mood now that whatever her 'special order' was was gone.

Rat narrowed her eyes slightly, trying to stay calm. “Mes amis et moi ont besoin de parler à vous si vous avez une minute. Il est important. Nous croyons que vous êtes en danger.”

“Pas intéressé, faire chier,” Danielle muttered before pushing her way past Rat to vanish into the crowd again.

Rat watched her go, raising an eyebrow. “Bitch...” she muttered under her breath before rejoining Aila. “Well, that didn't go well. I think we need to find somewhere quieter to approach her.”

Aila nodded and released a heavy sigh. “Alright...let's go find Leigh and Katja and get out of here,” she said, knowing they needed to get Leigh home.

The two clones made their way towards where Katja had disappeared with Leigh just as Leigh came running out by herself. Katja appeared a moment later, wheezing heavily as she coughed. Her arm bled from what looked like a human scratch mark.

Aila and Rat stared at the mark in stunned shock, before Aila ditched her heels and bolted after Leigh full tilt. The nagging feeling was back in her gut again, and somehow she _knew_ something was very wrong. Catching up to Leigh, Aila grabbed her arm hard and held tight as the hairdresser tried to shake her off.

 

“Leigh, knock it off! What the _hell_ did you do to Katja?!” she demanded, though a second later, her eyes widened in horror as Leigh's other fist came into her line of sight. It made contact with Aila's jaw with a sickening crack. Aila let go of Leigh instantly, stumbling back as she stared at the hairdresser, too stunned to register the pain in her face.

Before Leigh could run off, Katja and Rat were both on her, each grabbing an arm as they forced her to the front entrance hall of the building. A few people watched them go.

“Keep her still and let me have a look,” Aila told them, wincing as pain shot through her face.

“Be quick doc,” Rat grunted as she and Katja pinned Leigh against the wall. They struggled to hold the hairdresser steady, who thrashed around, shouting nonsensical words.

Aila grabbed Leigh's face and forced her to be still for a moment as she took in the dilated eyes and overly rapid heart rate. She knew the elevated heart rate was probably because of the struggle, though she also knew that even if she was wasted, Leigh's eyes shouldn't be _that_ dilated. There was barely even a hint of brown left in them.

Aila let go of Leigh and stared, shocked. “I think she's on something.”

“No kidding,” Rat muttered.

“No, no, I'm serious. I think she's _actually_ on something. We need to get her home, now.”

“How are vee going to get zis home exactly?” Katja asked dryly, her strength quickly failing her as she continued to restrain the hairdresser.

Crowds of people were starting to surround them now, curiosity getting the better of them. Rat felt panic creep up on her as she heard Danielle's name thrown around again. Some people even pointed at Leigh, wondering what on earth was going on.

“Where the frigg is her mask?!” Rat demanded to nobody in particular. “Oh DAMNIT-”

“Vat are zey saying?” Katja asked.

“They think she's Danielle – someone else just said they've seen Danielle over _there –_ we're done for...”

“You got that right,” Aila whispered in defeat.

She was gazing into the crowd, where an aggravated Danielle was approaching, apparently distracted and confused by the people constantly calling her name. Aila tried helplessly to block Leigh's face from view, but people shouted and chatted loudly as Danielle paced nearer to them.

“Come on Leigh, _move!_ ” Rat shrieked desperately.

It was sheer panic that gave the other three clones the strength to force Leigh out of the building. As Aila glanced back over her shoulder to check nobody was following, she eyed Danielle standing nearby. She wore a look of astonishment.

Something told Aila they hadn't whisked Leigh away without allowing Danielle a brief glimpse of her face.

\--

“How's your face?”

Aila offered an incoherent grunt at Rat's question the next morning. It was bruised and slightly swollen, and caused more pain than Aila was willing to admit.

“Sore,” she managed. She flicked on the kettle as she entered the kitchen area. Rat was sitting at the kitchen table with her laptop in front of her, as well as a bowl of cereal and a drink. “What are you doing?”

“Seeing if anything was reported from the party last night,” Rat responded. She kept her eyes on the screen as she scrolled through various online articles. “Everyone thought there were 'two Danielles', thanks to Leigh effing everything up...”

“She was _definitely_ on something, Rat,” Aila explained for what felt like the thousandth time. “Until we hear her side, I'm not blaming her for anything.”

Rat sighed and nodded. She tore her gaze from the screen to look at Aila. “Yeah, I know...I'm just annoyed at Danielle more than anything.”

“What did she even say to you?” Aila asked curiously. She pulled up a chair to sit down. “It seemed like she couldn't get away quick enough.”

“Pretty much just told me where to get off, even when I said we thought she was in danger,” Rat said, sighing as she lightly petted Bianca. “She seemed proper mardy...something about a mix-up at the bar from what I could gather. She was angry that her 'special order' had already been given out or something...” she trailed off, sudden realisation hitting her. Glancing at Aila, she could tell the doctor shared her thoughts.

“Whatever this special order was, do you think that's what Leigh was on?” Aila asked.

“It's a good possibility. Give me a minute,” Rat said, pulling up Danielle's profile and scanning through it quickly, her eyes widening as she read over a detail she'd missed before. She recalled not having gotten to this part of the file before she being attacked by Helena...she'd never got back to her reading. “Oh _holy_ shit...”

Aila blinked, watching Rat quietly. It was exceedingly rare for the hacker to swear, so Aila knew she'd found something big.

“Apparently Danielle's got an addiction problem. Something called Angel Dust...let's see...” Rat did a quick search and then read off the screen. “Angel Dust is its street name. Don't ask me to pronounce its real name...apparently it's new...being sold off as a much stronger version of cocaine. Needs to be mixed with liquid and drank rather than inhaling it like normal cocaine. Effects include...a euphoric high, rapid speech, elevated mood, irritability, anxiety...and when mixed with too much alcohol, it can produce violent thoughts and behaviours, especially when provoked even slightly. There's a possibility of memory loss, too. Those last three are more likely with first time users, and less likely with people who are already tolerant towards normal cocaine.”

“Shite...” Aila muttered, glancing into the other room where Leigh was still fast asleep on the sofa. She'd crashed hard not long after being dragged home. “That sounds about right...she was talking so fast when we first found her that I could barely understand her.”

“The aggression...it must have triggered when Katja grabbed her, and then when _you_ grabbed her-”

“She lashed out violently,” Aila sighed, understanding.

Rat nodded and frowned. “This stuff seems _really_ addictive Aila...she's not going to have a fun time when she wakes up,” she muttered, sounding genuinely concerned for Leigh now. “Damn...the bartender must be one of Danielle's dealers or something...”

“That would explain a lot,” Aila muttered. She absently rubbed her aching face as she gathered her thoughts. “I suppose we should let Leigh sleep it off for as long as she can. Meanwhile...I think Danielle _saw_ her last night...”

“Oh?”

“She was staring when we dragged Leigh off. I'm _sure_ she saw her face. If we can find a way to track her down again, she _might_ be more inclined to listen...”

“You sure about that?” Rat asked with raised eyebrows. “Oh God. Well...I suppose we've got nothing left to lose. You're best off staying here with Leigh. I'll see if Katja's up for visiting Danielle with me...when she wakes up...”

The morning dragged on. Rat continued searching for news articles to see if word had got out about Danielle's double at the party, but there seemed to be nothing to report. When Katja emerged later on, Rat and Aila explained what they had discovered.

“So yeah, turns out she's a druggie,” Aila concluded. “So if you two are gonna meet her, _please_ be careful.”

“Ja, ve vill,” Katja said.

“It's gonna _have_ to be today,” Rat said firmly. “Beth's right about us wasting more and more time. I'm done messing around.”


	25. Chapter 24

Rat wrote down Danielle's home address from her file. They figured the most direct approach would be best for now, and shortly later, Rat and Katja were preparing to head out.

“Be safe. Call us when you can,” Aila told them as she watched them make their way towards the door.

“Ja, ve vill. You be safe too. Hopefully crazy pan lady vill be better ven she vakes,” Katja said, giving Aila a light hug.

“You and me both,” Aila said with a lopsided grin.

Aila walked into the kitchen and put together a makeshift ice pack with some ice-cubes, a plastic bag, and a towel before making her way back into the living room. She moved a chair close to the sofa and sat down to relax and keep an eye on Leigh.

Even though her face hurt a lot, she didn't hold what happened against the hairdresser, and she didn't think any less of Leigh for it either. She knew the other clone hadn't been in her right mind.

After another hour passed, Leigh made a slight grunting sound and began to stir. Aila watched her warily in case the drug hadn't worn off, but she refused to distance herself unless it was clearly necessary.

Leigh opened her eyes slowly, her vision unfocused. After a moment, her eyes found Aila. She winced at the light as the world slowly came into focus. Her head pounded hard and she felt sick.

“Ailaaaaa...what the _fuck_ happened last night?” she whined, covering her eyes with her hand.

Aila smiled in spite of herself, feeling that Leigh was back with herself. She sighed in relief and stood up. “Hang on, I'll close the blinds.” She rushed around the room to dim the light coming through the windows.

Leigh gingerly removed her hand from her eyes when Aila was done, the dim lights much more acceptable to her sensitive eyes. Aila sat back down in her chair, and Leigh noticed her holding a towel to her face. “What's up?” she asked, looking at the purple colour peeking out from under the towel.

Aila hesitated and then shook her head. “Never mind. It's nothing. How are you feeling?” she asked gently.

“Like I got hit by a truck,” Leigh grumbled, closing her eyes again. “Seriously, what the hell _happened_ last night? I can't remember _anything_...”

Aila frowned. “What's the last thing you _can_ remember?”

Leigh was silent for several minutes, before shaking her head slowly. “I don't know...I was at the bar...and then I _think_ I was dancing...but...”

“But that's all?” Aila asked.

Leigh nodded. Aila sighed quietly. Should she unload everything onto Leigh now or wait until she felt better? The doctor stood quietly and went into the bathroom to get some painkillers and a glass of water. She brought each item to Leigh individually so as to not have to put the towel down just yet, not wanting to shock Leigh with the state of her face.

“Cheers...” Leigh muttered, taking the painkillers before looking back to Aila, who was watching her with an odd expression. “OK so what happened?” she asked again.

Aila was quiet for a moment before sighing. “We're pretty sure you were drugged last night,” she said quietly.

Leigh's eyes widened in horrified shock as she choked on her water a bit. “ _WHAT?!_ ” she gasped, instinctively looking down at her own body.

Aila could see where her thoughts had gone, and she shook her head. “No, no, don't worry, not like that. I'm reasonably certain no one took advantage,” she said quickly to soothe Leigh's fears. “I don't think anyone could have kept you still long enough for that...”

Leigh managed a small sigh, but she felt herself tense up as Aila explained what she and Rat had discovered.

“Fuuuuck,” Leigh groaned angrily. She rubbed her eyes and absently clawed at her face. “Yeah...the barman...he thought I was Danielle and I just sort of went with it...bloody _moron..._ ”

“It could have happened to any of us,” Aila tried to assure her.

“So what happened with Danielle?”

“Not a lot,” Aila answered. She briefly went over Rat's unsuccessful attempt to communicate with the French clone, and the fact she and Katja were on their way to visit her. “Rat said she'll call to update us in a bit.”

Leigh started to nod, but found it hurt her head, so she stopped quickly. She and Aila sat quietly for a short while, both lost in thought. It wasn't long before Aila removed the ice pack from her face when her arm started to ache. It did not go unnoticed by Leigh.

“Seriously, what the hell happened to you?” Leigh demanded. Aila refused to meet her gaze. She instead took the ice pack with her other hand and pressed it to her face again. “Aila.”

“Nothing. It was an accident.”

Realisation dawned on Leigh, even in her weakened and slightly confused state. She sat up straight and leaned closer to Aila. “Did _I_ do that to you?”

Aila shrugged. “It wasn't your fault. I'm more concerned about how _you_ are gonna feel. Apparently that stuff is addictive.”

“Shit,” Leigh whispered. A great sadness and guilt hit her at the thought of causing any sort of harm to Aila. “Let me see.” She urged Aila to look at her properly so she could examine the damage. The bruise was a variety of colours from purples to blue-greens to reds. It looked painful. “God Aila, I'm _so_ sorry. I don't even remember...”

“I know,” Aila told her. “It'll heal.”

“Yeah, but still...” Leigh had to fight to stop herself getting emotional. Aila stared at her, confused at the strange look on Leigh's face.

“You OK?” she asked.

“I...” Leigh started, shaking a bit. “I...I'm gonna throw up,” she gasped, and she was on her feet and rushing for the bathroom in an instant.

\--

Rat and Katja stood before Danielle's home, out of sight across the street. The area was quieter than they thought it would be, but when Rat thought about it, it wasn't really surprising. It made sense someone like Danielle wanted their privacy.

“You know I vould do it if I could speak French,” Katja told her sister evenly. They both gazed at the house in front of them, barely moving.

Rat sighed to herself. Katja's bravery was certainly useful when it came to approaching other subjects for the first time, and after the cold way Danielle brushed her off the previous night, the hacker wasn't looking forward to round two.

“Come on,” she mumbled, moving to approach the house. Katja followed instantly, placing her large sunglasses on her face as they walked. Rat reluctantly knocked on the door once they reached her house. Then, she turned to stare at Katja.

“What if someone else answers?”

“Who?”

“Like her boyfriend.”

“Too late for zat now,” Katja said bluntly. “Vatever happens, vee deal with it.”

It wasn't Danielle or her boyfriend who answered the door, but rather an older gentleman who was dressed in an old-fashioned butler outfit. He stared at the two, apparently surprised.

“Nous avons besoin de voir Danielle. Il est important,” Rat said as calmly as she could, unwilling to back down now. They needed to get this over with as soon as possible. _(“We need to see Danielle. It's important.”)_

“Elle n'a jamais parlé des sœurs...mais venir, je vais l'appeler vers le bas,” the old man said, stepping aside to allow them into the house. _(“She never spoke about sisters...but come in, I'll call her down.”)_

“Merci,” Rat said with a nod, following the man as he led them to a small sitting area. “Est le petit ami de Danielle autour par hasard?” _(“Is Danielle's boyfriend around by chance?”)_

“Non,” the old man responded.

“Thank God for small favours...” Rat muttered under her breath.

Katja looked around before sitting down on the posh sofa beside Rat. She didn't have a clue what was being said, but she was content to be there to support her sister if anything went wrong.

The butler vanished from the room and Rat sighed, leaning back. “Well this is gonna be fun...”

“Ja, but vee must get her samples,” Katja said.

“I know that,” Rat told her “Just not looking forward to talking to her again after last night.”

“Vee vill be fine,” Katja assured her, lightly putting her hand on her sister's shoulder.

Rat gave her a small smile, before the two heard footsteps. They looked over to see the butler returning with Danielle close behind. The skater looked rather grumpy until she spotted the other two clones, her expression then transforming into cautious curiosity.

Danielle turned to look at the butler. “Nous quitter,” she ordered sternly. The butler gave a quick bow and left the room, shutting the door behind him, and Danielle glared fiercely at Rat and Katja. “Qu'est-ce que ce est?”

Rat stood up and dared to take a step towards Danielle. She explained she tried to get Danielle's attention the previous night, reminding her she was wearing a mask, to which Danielle nodded briefly, clearly having some memory of the incident.

Katja waited while Rat talked. She couldn't understand a word, though it was obvious to her Rat was explaining why they looked identical. She also heard Helena's name pop up once or twice.

Rat fell quiet when she said all she felt she could say. Her voice echoed a bit at her last words, followed by a ringing silence.

Danielle just stared. “Mensonges,” she spat after an awkward few seconds. “Impossible.”

“Nous pouvons le prouver,” Rat insisted, but Danielle shook her head.

“Je ne suis pas interesse. Se il vous plait aller.”

The French clone marched towards the main doors of the house and forced them open, waiting for Rat and Katja to leave. Rat wanted to argue, but there wasn't much they could do. Holding her breath, she gestured for Katja to follow her out of the house, and exhaled deeply when Danielle slammed shut the door.

“ _Vat_ vas all zat about?” Katja demanded instantly.

Rat sighed again. “She basically said I'm a liar, and when I said we can prove it, she said she's not interested. I'm not sure what she'll do if we try again. She's bound to have security of some kind...”

“Ja, not strong enough to fend off Helena zough,” Katja grumbled. “Let's call Aila. Vee can decide vat to do zen.”

\--

Aila patiently waited on the sofa while Leigh was in the bathroom. When the hairdresser finally came out, she was pale and shaking a bit. Aila frowned. She didn't think trying to eat or drink anything would be a good idea until it passed.

Leigh flopped down on the sofa with a heavy sigh, her head still pounding. Aila lightly rubbed her back. “I don't even want to imagine the hangover you've got today. I have _no_ idea how much you actually drank last night,” she said, still keeping the icepack on her own cheek.

Leigh merely groaned in response, closing her eyes again as she carefully leaned back on the sofa. She glanced over at Aila, feeling a pang of guilt again as she saw the doctor's cheek. “Did I do anything else to you or anyone else?” she asked quietly, almost afraid of the answer.

Aila hesitated. “You scratched Katja pretty good on the arm, but that's it as far as we know. After...this happened,” she gestured vaguely to her face, “the others floored you and we managed to restrain you enough to get you back here, where you crashed almost immediately.”

Leigh frowned, her guilt only increasing. She couldn't believe she hurt her friends, high or not. “I'm _so_ sorry. I swear I'll make it up to you.”

Aila shook her head. “Relax. I'll live, and so will Katja. You weren't in your right mind, and neither of us blame you for what happened or think any less of you for it. You couldn't have known the drink was spiked.”

Leigh looked unconvinced, though instead of talking, she surged forward and hugged Aila tightly, closing her eyes as she finally broke down and gave into the urge to cry. Aila put her icepack down and returned the hug, lightly rubbing Leigh's back as she did until the hairdresser calmed down.

The sound of a phone going off made Leigh lean back, looking around as she wiped her eyes. Aila stood and retrieved her phone from the table where she'd left it. She answered it and walked back to the sofa to sit down again. “Hey Rat. How'd it go?”

Aila nodded quietly as Rat updated her on the situation, frowning subtly. “For real? That's not good...you guys heading back now? Alright...yeah, she's awake, and back to normal,” she said with a glance over at Leigh. “Alright, see you guys in a bit. Stay safe.”

Leigh raised an eyebrow. “Bad news?”

Aila nodded. “Apparently Danielle thinks they're lying and doesn't want anything to do with us,” she sighed. Leigh narrowed her eyes and stood up, though the sudden motion caused her to stagger a bit. Aila watched her, alarmed. “Leigh!”

“We're going over there!” Leigh growled. “We'll bloody well _MAKE_ her listen! We're NOT letting Helena get another one!”

Aila stared at her. “Leigh, sit down. You're not fit to go anywhere today. Let's wait and regroup and come up with a real plan,” she tried to reason.

Sickness overcame Leigh again almost instantly. She swayed and sat back down on the sofa, knowing Aila was right. She was in no fit state to argue. She instead nodded, though her anger at Danielle's stubbornness did not subside.

As soon as this hangover left her, Leigh was going to take action, for real this time.

\--

When Rat and Katja returned from Danielle's house, Leigh apologised to them immediately, though both of them waved her off and told her it was fine. Instead, they filled Leigh and Aila in on exactly what happened at Danielle's house.

None of the clones were sure how to go about getting Danielle's samples, so they decided to leave it until they could come up with a solid plan. Everyone knew it'd take some time before Leigh was fit to go out anyway. They figured all they could do for now was keep an eye on things, and hope Helena would stay well enough away.

As the day drew to a close and night set in, Leigh became more and more restless. Her hangover had gone away over the course of the afternoon, but now she felt uncomfortable and twitchy.

“Jesus Christ, what the hell's wrong with me?” Leigh groaned, holding her head as she wandered back and forth in the living room after everyone else had gone to bed. She was far too wound up to sleep.

“You're still detoxing.”

Leigh glanced up, seeing Rat leaning against the door frame, watching her. Leigh stared. “How long have you been there?”

Rat shrugged. “I heard you wandering around. You only had one dose, so the cravings _should_ go away on their own soon. Unfortunately, you'll have to put up with it until then.”

“Right,” Leigh mumbled in response. “God, I'm so _pissed_ at Danielle for _all_ of this! How the hell didn't we realise sooner she's a friggin' junkie?”

Rat shrugged and guiltily averted her gaze. “Sometimes we make mistakes,” she offered simply.

Leigh stopped in her tracks to watch Rat properly. She knew it was easy to miss things out when reading the files of the other subjects, especially with everything going on around them.

“Sorry,” Leigh told Rat sincerely. “I'm just-”

“Edgy, I know,” Rat finished for her. “You gave us a fright, you know.”

Leigh stared. “Well so did you the last time we saw Helena,” she let slip.

Rat wasn't sure how to respond to this. She wanted to be annoyed at Leigh for a moment for daring to make such a sarcastic remark, but it dawned on her quickly there was nothing sarcastic about Leigh's comment at all. She wasn't sure she wanted to admit she and Leigh had feared for each others' safety.

“Sorry,” Leigh said again. She sat down on the sofa at last, rubbing her eyes and pulling at her hair.

Reluctantly, Rat joined her, surprising Leigh a bit. “Keep focused, Callingham,” she said bluntly, staring directly ahead at the wall opposite. “Danielle is our last obstacle before we finally get to meet Beth in person.”

“If Beth will even agree to it,” Leigh muttered.

“She _will_ if she wants these samples,” Rat pointed out.

A pause followed.

“Leigh,” Rat spoke again, unable to put up with the tension between them. “If there's still a chance to save Katja, we _have_ to focus on it. I know we're all still raw about Aryanna and Janika...but...”

“Keep moving forward,” Leigh added, nodding. “I know. I'll be damned if we give up now, after everything.”

“Which is why you need to at least _try_ and rest until all of this passes,” Rat told her. “We ought to be forming a plan for Danielle sooner rather than later.”

“Yeah, I know. Thanks...”

“For what?” Rat asked, eyebrow raised.

Leigh shrugged. “For putting up with me.”

Rat smirked a bit, but it vanished almost instantly, making Leigh wonder if she was seeing things. “The stuff you were on is called Angel Dust.”

“Yeah, Aila said. I don't recommend it,” Leigh said, causing Rat to smile again.

“If the cravings become too overwhelming, which I imagine they might, don't sit around or pace trying to wait them out. You'll end up driving yourself up a wall. My advice would be to find something to do to occupy your mind and your hands for a while, like chores or whatnot,” she offered carefully.

Leigh raised an eyebrow, smirking slightly. “Trying to saddle me with housework?” she teased lightly.

Rat shrugged. “It worked for me, for the most part.”

Rat's comment caught Leigh off guard. She was surprised at the words, and surprised the hacker had even admitted something like that to her. “Wait, what do you mean by that? _You_ used to do drugs?”

Rat shook her head. “Nothing hard or illegal,” she said, averting her gaze, as though hesitant at revealing anything to Leigh. “I smoked regularly between the ages of fourteen and nineteen before quitting. Seemed like a good idea at the time, but it was _really_ hard to do. Ended up relapsing twice before kicking it for good. But yeah...whenever the cravings got too much, I'd go around and play with the dog, or do chores, or just anything really to keep myself distracted until it passed.”

Leigh stared at her. “Wow, I wouldn't have guessed that. You seem the type to be against _all_ drugs. It's good you were able to quit though. A lot of people can't.” This moment was becoming more and more surreal for her. It wasn't common for she and Rat to talk openly without fighting.

Rat shrugged again. “It was just a method of stress relief. Not a very healthy one, but it worked. Eventually I found a much more positive method of stress relief, but yeah...” she trailed off, not looking at Leigh.

“Really? And what would that be?” Leigh asked before she could stop herself, her curiosity getting the better of her.

“That...would be a story for another time,” Rat said with a slight smirk.

Leigh laughed a bit as Rat stood up and crossed the room. She turned to glance back at Leigh before she left. Leigh thought she was going to say something else for a moment, but the hacker simply held Leigh's gaze for a second and retreated for bed.

\--

That night dragged on, as did the next few days. Leigh took Rat's advice to keep busy while recovering from her ordeal, and it seemed to work. She was pleased when she started to feel like her normal self again.

Aila seemed to be recovering quickly too. The swelling in her face went down significantly, though faint bruising was still present.

“It's fine. It doesn't hurt much now anyway,” she told the others when discussing it one morning.

Between discussing their plans to confront Danielle again and tending to the dogs, the clones found themselves to be rather restless. Their ideas seemed to run into brick walls whatever they decided, and this only annoyed Leigh more than usual.

“We'll bloody well _force_ her to listen if we have to,” she told the others stubbornly.

“How vill you do zat? Tie her up and zreaten her vith pan?” Katja asked coolly, glancing at Leigh over the top of her laptop.

“It's not funny,” Leigh snapped at her.

“I never said it vas.”

Katja turned her attention back to the laptop while Leigh gathered her thoughts and silently wandered around the room. The German had been reading up on the latest news, but she found she couldn't concentrate properly. She'd also considered calling Beth, but the detective didn't appear to be online.

But someone else was. A notification at the bottom of the screen popped up, reading ' _Janika is online_ '.

“ _Vat?_ ” Katja asked herself quietly so Leigh couldn't hear her. Didn't Aila say something about DYAD possibly taking Janika's laptop? Had they hacked her account?

Trying not to look suspicious, Katja delicately picked up her laptop and slipped out of the room, hoping to look as though she wanted to go and rest. She securely shut her bedroom door when she reached her room, placed the laptop on the bed, and sat before it.

She frowned deeply. She knew she ought to tell the others, but what was the point in worrying them? Maybe the laptop had been given back. Maybe it was one of Janika's friends or family members logging on to her account.

For the time being, Katja decided to monitor Janika's activity online, watching and waiting for any updates to her account. The afternoon passed by slowly as Katja kept herself busy doing other things while keeping an eye on Janika's Skype. She didn't notice any changes at all.

A knock at the door made the German jump slightly and switch the Skype window to Beth's before looking up at the door. “Ja?”

The door opened, revealing Rat. The hacker looked at her sister. “Dinner's almost ready,” she told Katja. “Have you been in here all afternoon?”

“Ja, I vas resting,” Katja said evenly. “Not sleeping, just lying around reading.” It wasn't technically a lie.

Rat stared at her for a moment, before walking into the room fully to sit on the bed beside Katja. “How're you holding up?” she asked, trying to sound casual about it.

Katja looked at her. “I am fine schwester. Stop vorrying.”

Rat shrugged and decided to change the subject. “I've been reading Danielle's file, and the only possible time I can see when she's not surrounded by tourists and security is when she goes and picks up her drugs, though even then I don't know how we can get close to her. A lot of the exchanges seem to be made very quickly, and then she jumps right back into her security ring,” she sighed, leaning back on the bed.

“I'm sure crazy pan lady vill come up vith some crazy plan sooner or later,” Katja shrugged.

“Crazy and probably stupid,” Rat muttered. “Though to be honest, I'll try anything at this point. Sooner we get her samples, the sooner we can get out of here and get to Beth and her mysterious scientist friend...”

Katja put her hand on Rat's shoulder, offering a reassuring smile. She knew Rat was struggling with this, as much as she tried to keep it together. It was the reason she didn't want to confess she'd began having trouble concentrating.

Rat met her gaze for a moment, offering a weak smile in return. “Sorry...”

The German woman shook her head. “Don't be. I vill be out for dinner in a minute. You go on. I just vant to finish reading zis. Make sure others do not eat all zee rolls zis time,” she instructed Rat seriously.

Rat smirked, nodded, stretched, and stood up to leave the room.

Katja sat quietly for a while after Rat shut the door. She kept the laptop on, but stood from the bed and began rearranging her possessions and clothes to tidy up a bit. In the back of her mind, she wondered if she was trying to give herself reasons to stay in the room to keep an eye on the laptop, and she shook her head instantly when this realisation hit her. She could not become obsessive about this. Leigh was bad enough with her window habits.

Katja reached out to close the laptop lid, but she froze mid-action when the sound of Skype delivering a message reached her ears. Curiously, Katja climbed back onto the bed and leaned in front of the laptop. She felt her heart catch in her throat to see Janika's name flashing up with a new message.

' _Hello,_ ' it read.

Katja stared. Her hand twitched of its own accord, as though wanting to type something back, but she managed to control the urge. She remained frozen for a second or two, trying to decide what to do. Should she call the others in to take a look? Should she risk responding to whoever was on Janika's account?

A video call request was sent. It was enough to make Katja jump a little in surprise; she hadn't realised how loud the volume on her laptop was. She knew it was stupid to answer; stupid and reckless, but these were traits Katja couldn't easily lose, and she knew it.

Katja answered the call reluctantly, curiosity getting the better of her. She briefly expected some DYAD official or relative of Janika's to greet her on the screen...what she saw instead came as a complete shock.

The familiar face of a blonde, wild-haired, feral-eyed clone grinned at Katja from the screen.

“Oh Gott,” Katja breathed, staring with wide eyes.


	26. Chapter 25

How had none of them realised sooner it was possible Helena took Janika's laptop? Anger hit Katja suddenly at full force; it made so much _sense_ , and they had all _overlooked it-_

“How is doggy friend doing?” Helena's rough voice interrupted Katja from her thoughts. She grinned crookedly from the screen and laughed darkly. Katja knew Helena was talking about Rat...hoping to hear the cut to her throat had killed her...

“You are _sick,_ ” Katja hissed.

Helena laughed again, louder this time. She looked more exhausted and less sane than Katja remembered her. The killer clone appeared to be in a rather dark, poorly lit room, and this seemed to enhance her disturbing features.

Katja made to get up and call the others in, but Helena distracted her again.

“You cannot run forever, Katja.”

Katja stopped in her tracks to glare at the screen. It was rare she struggled to stay composed, but here she was, looking at the face of the woman who attacked her sister so shamelessly, and ended the lives of Aryanna and Janika with no remorse...Katja wanted to strangle her...

“ _You_ are zee von who better run,” she warned Helena seriously. “Vee know all about you. Vat you do and vhy you do it. You are a fool if you can't see zey are just _using_ you.” Helena only laughed once more. It made Katja tremble with fury. “If you do not stop, you vill only make more enemies,” she almost whispered now. “One day, sooner or later, you vill be stopped. You vill suffer for vat you have done.”

Katja caught a glint of something silver in Helena's hand, and suddenly, it was in her mouth. When Helena let go of it to hold it with her teeth, Katja saw it was a spoon. “Tell me about that,” Helena said casually in a surprisingly friendly tone of voice. “Dog lady said I am not the original. That it is a _lie._ Why would she say this?”

“Because it's _true,_ ” Katja responded instantly.

“And crazy pan woman said I was killing my own, but that is not possible.”

“Proletheans _lie_ to you, Helena,” Katja insisted angrily. “Vhy can you not see?”

“You cannot give valid reason why I am _not_ the original,” Helena challenged her. She took the spoon from her mouth and dug it into a pot she was now holding in her free hand. It was full of a red substance. “Tomas said 'Helena, these copies, they will say anything to pull wool over your eyes. You must be strong. You are the original, you are the light. These copies, they are filth, born by science, an abomination to _God-'_ ”

“Vere exactly does your God say it is OK to _kill_?” Katja interrupted.

Helena hesitated. She watched Katja thoughtfully while she continued to eat, and then tossed the pot aside, and stood up. “I must get more jello,” she announced, disappearing off screen. Katja shook her head in disbelief, but before she could call Rat in, Helena was back with another jello pot.

“I do not enjoy the killings,” Helena managed in a somewhat innocent voice. “That is vhy vee punish ourselves also.”

“ _Vat?_ ” Katja asked, stunned.

“But it is for the greater good. I have asked myself many times, is this the answer? I have looked for other explanations, but there is none.”

“Of course zere ez!” Katja told her. “You just have not searched in zee right places-”

“I am giving you a chance _now,_ ” Helena interrupted. She peeled off the lid of the jello pot and flicked it aside before sticking her spoon in. “But it seems you cannot convince me.”

A horrible silence followed. Katja twitched angrily. She _knew_ they were all born of science, but how much did she know about the clones, really? How much did any of them know? What were they for? _Why_ were they created? If there _was_ an original, who was it?

Katja swore under her breath. It dawned on her she couldn't really provide Helena with a strong enough argument; not when she and the others didn't understand it fully themselves.

“You do not even know,” Helena giggled as though reading Katja's mind. She brought the spoon to her lips, but missed her mouth, causing jello to wobble and fall onto the desk. Helena frowned irritably for a moment at wasting it in such a way, but her attention was back on Katja quickly. “You do not know, because there _is_ no...acceptable reason for you to live. For you to exist. You are _not real._ ”

Katja's anger began ebbing away now, slowly replaced by sadness. How could Helena look at her clone sisters and feel nothing? How could she not see herself in them? See the lives they'd built, and the relationships they'd made? She couldn't believe Helena saw fit to take all that away.

“You are tragic,” Katja whispered, though she was sure Helena hadn't heard her. She was too busy scraping up the jello she had spilled onto the desk with her spoon.

Katja threw her face into her hands suddenly when the urge to cough hit her out of nowhere. She heaved and spluttered violently, spraying her hands with blood.

Helena chuckled. “I think it is _you_ who is sick; not me,” she mocked, spoon hanging out her mouth again. “Poor, broken, useless little copy. You do not work. You are not _real._ Next time I see you, you will die. Bye bye.”

Helena reached out for the laptop and pressed a button to end the call, leaving Katja sitting in numbed silence. She didn't even notice when the door opened again and Rat walked back in.

“Katja, are you coming or..?” the hacker trailed off when she noticed the broken and defeated look on Katja's face. She crossed the room quickly and knelt down before her, concerned. “Hey, what's up? Talk to me,” she said.

Katja numbly turned her head to look down at Rat, though she said nothing and stared at her in silence. Rat frowned, lightly placing her hand on the side of Katja's jaw. “Talk to me. What happened?”

Katja met her gaze, though her eyes seemed strangely distant. “Are vee real, schwester?”

Rat blinked, her eyes widening slightly. She hesitated for a split second. “Why are you asking that?”

“Vee are clones...just copies...are vee even human?” Katja asked quietly. Helena's words circled her mind, somehow making her doubt herself and everything she stood for.

Rat stared at her. “Katja, look at me,” she said, waiting until the request had been met before continuing. “We _are_ clones, but we are also _people_. We're not just copies. We each have our own lives and thoughts and feelings and connections to those around us. It doesn't matter that we were born of science...we still go through life the same as anyone else.”

Katja nodded slowly. “Ja...” she said, though she looked unconvinced.

Rat frowned. “What happened that's suddenly gotten you thinking about that?”

Katja sighed and confessed everything that had happened, from when she noticed Janika's account online to when she'd spoken to Helena. Rat stared in blank shock as she listened. Some part of her wanted to be angry that Katja hadn't immediately told them what was going on, but she found she didn't have the heart.

Keeping herself in check, Rat spoke calmly and gently. “Katja, she's a killer. She _wants_ to get in your head and make you second guess yourself...that's what she _does_. She wants you to give up the fight and make it easier for her to make you play her sick game. Don't listen to her. Wherever we came from, we _are_ real, and we have every right to carry on like anybody else.”

Katja nodded. She felt tired and numb, but she got to her feet and beckoned Rat to follow her out of the room. “Vee should tell Aila and Leigh.”

Rat agreed, so they took Katja's laptop into the living room and sat Aila and Leigh down to talk to them about what happened. Rat wasn't surprised they both reacted negatively, both of them standing up and exclaiming in panic to hear the news. Rat couldn't blame them. It was starting to trouble her more too.

“We've gotta ditch the laptop,” Aila suggested the first idea that popped into her head. She pulled her ponytail anxiously while Leigh began pacing the room. “Right? If there's _any_ chance she can track us-”

“Janika's still on _my_ contact list too,” Rat remind her.

“Well then delete her!” Aila said.

“Helena's thick as shit; she won't know how to track us just by having us on Skype, will she?” Leigh asked. She sounded unconvinced at her own words.

Rat shrugged. “I wouldn't underestimate her. She's clearly smart enough to kill all these women and remain undetected by authorities for so long. Besides, even if _she_ can't track us, one of her Prolethean buddies might be able to. Someone with more experience of the technological world, for instance.”

Leigh stopped in her tracks to look at Rat in surprise. “Maggie Chen?” she guessed.

“Who knows?” Rat said.

“So what now? Should we leave?” Aila asked.

“ _No,_ ” Leigh said stubbornly. “No! I'm tired of running! Let's get Danielle's samples while we're here! We're not going anywhere until we've dealt with this!”

“But Helena-”

“We weren't too worried when we thought DYAD had the laptop, were we?” Leigh snapped irritably, rounding on the others. “I'm sorry, but I think _they're_ more likely to have the knowledge to get to us than the friggin' Proletheans are. If you're worried, we'll go find Danielle today, or tomorrow – or I don't know when - just _soon!_ Then we can head to Canada!”

Rat nodded quietly. “The only time she's not surrounded by security is when she goes to pick up her drugs. As far as I can tell, she does it herself because very few know she's a crackhead. That might give us an opportunity, but we'll need to be quick if we're going to approach her like that. I'll see about putting together a timeline of her typical patterns in accordance with her file. That might mean having to deal with her boyfriend too, mind, but it'll have to do. We can't waste any more time.”

Katja frowned. “How vill vee get her samples zen? Vee can steal blood and hair, but vat of papers and zings? She vouldnt be carrying around everyzing like zat vith her, ja?”

Aila looked between them. “Well...can I make a dumb suggestion?” she offered, getting their attention. “From what we know about her, it seems like she's pretty narcissistic, right? She seems to love herself and love the fact that people fawn over her, and she keeps her addiction a secret...so what if we threaten her with that? Say we'll expose the addiction with proof to every major news outlet in the country if she won't cooperate with us? At the very least, something like that would definitely get her kicked out of competitive skating.”

Leigh stared at her, having not expected an idea dealing with blackmail to come from Aila of all people, though she had to admit it was definitely better than anything else they'd come up with.

Rat and Katja seemed to be thinking the same. Rat nodded. “That might just work.”

“We should probably actually _show_ her we can prove it,” Leigh added. “Can you pull any photos or whatever out of her file, Rat?”

Rat shrugged. “I'll see what there is. There aren't really many photographs included in our files. It's mostly text. Just the fact that we know the details of her addiction, and even the names of some of her dealers should be enough to spook her, though.”

Leigh nodded and leaned back, thinking. If worst came to worst they could always just grab Danielle, though she knew doing that would be dangerous and could quite easily get them all arrested. Most people didn't take kindly to their celebrities being kidnapped, after all...

Leigh gave a frustrated sigh and stood. “I need tea,” she told them, walking into the kitchen. She was about to ask the others if they wanted drinks too, but her thoughts distracted her. They were so close. She knew it should be simple – get Danielle's samples, and make a break for Canada. Easy.

But it wasn't going to be easy, was it? Leigh flicked the switch on the kettle and leaned against the kitchen counter while it boiled. She folded her arms and frowned. How long would it be before Helena caught up to them again? Leigh had to admit the fact she contacted Katja worried her more than she let on.

She looked up when Aila shuffled over to her. “Make mine a coffee,” she said with a small grin.

Leigh smiled a bit. “Sure.”

“I see you have your serious thinking face on,” Aila commented.

“Yeah. I was just thinking about Helena...”

“Oh?”

“I'd love to know what goes on inside her head,” Leigh whispered.

“We already know that,” Aila reasoned. “Those religious weirdoes made her think that's her only purpose. I...”

“Go on,” Leigh urged her.

Aila averted her gaze and shrugged. “I have to wonder if they'll even keep her alive after all this. If they're just using her to get rid of the rest of us, and then...”

Leigh watched Aila trail off, and a dark, daunting feeling took over her. “I never even considered that,” Leigh admitted. “I suppose it depends if they really _do_ believe she's the original, or if they're just saying that...where'd she even _come from?_ ”

“I've been wondering that as well,” Aila said. She spun around to find the kitchen cupboards. She opened them to pull out two cups, and then headed for the fridge for milk. “It's hard not to pity her.”

Leigh nodded. She knew Aila had a point, but all Leigh felt was anger for the killer clone. Or maybe it was anger at herself for not being able to stop any of this...

“Lucas said the Proletheans kidnapped her, if I remember rightly,” Aila continued as she set the bottle of milk down on the counter.

“Yeah,” Leigh agreed, nodding again. “Like I said before, I don't think DYAD's even _aware_ of Helena. She must be unmonitored, to have disappeared like she did, but how did she-”

Leigh stopped talking abruptly and froze as if she had seen a ghost. She stared ahead at the wall blankly, causing Aila to look around in confusion.

“Oh _fuck,_ ” Leigh whispered to herself. “She _can't_ be...”

“What?” Aila asked.

Leigh just shook her head, snapping herself out of it, and abandoned her task of making tea. “I need Rat's opinion on something,” she said shakily as she rushed from the room. She hastily found the hacker and sat beside her, ignoring the other clone's protests about personal space.

“Holy shit, I just had a thought. Do you think Helena could be the daughter of the surrogate that went missing? The one who was supposed to give her baby to Rachel's adopted parents?” Leigh asked urgently, her eyes wide as she spoke. “Could you see if anything in the files would suggest that might have been what happened?”

Rat blinked, surprised by the suggestion. The thought had never even crossed her mind, but she had to admit the idea was entirely plausible, given what little they knew about the feral clone.

“Fine. Give me a minute, and give me room to breathe, Callingham,” Rat grumbled, shoving Leigh back a little bit before turning her attention back to her computer.

She put down Danielle's file and instead pulled up ones relating to Rachel's adopted parents; Ethan and Susan Duncan. It took several minutes for her programs to scan the files, highlighting keywords within the lengthy documents.

Feeling Leigh's impatient eyes on her, Rat shot her a glare. “Will you quit _staring_? I'll tell you what I find when I find it. Go make your tea or whatever,” she said flatly.

Leigh narrowed her eyes slightly, but sighed and returned to the kitchen where Aila was finishing making their drinks. The doctor glanced at Leigh and handed her her tea. “So where's the fire?” she asked.

Leigh accepted the tea. “Cheers,” she said before explaining the thought she'd had.

Aila's eyes widened. “Really? Helena might be the one the Duncans would have gotten? That would make sense, I suppose...”

Aila knew if it was true, it would give Leigh a whole new reason to hate Helena. After all, even though Helena herself would have had nothing to do with it, the surrogate vanishing would be the reason Leigh wasn't raised with her sister. For a moment, Aila wondered what Rachel might have been like if she'd been raised alongside Leigh instead of under the care of DYAD.

“Leigh, get over here,” Rat called after another moment. Leigh hurried to see what Rat had discovered, gripping her mug of tea tightly. Rat stared at the screen as she spoke. “So apparently the surrogate mother was a woman called Amelia, but I can't give you much more than that. Everything on here matches up with your mum and dad's story – that the Duncans paid her, but then she took off before the kid was born.”

“And they have no clue where,” Leigh finished, disappointed.

Rat nodded. “If they did, the missing clone child wouldn't be missing, would she? They'd have found Amelia by now. No; I'm pretty sure DYAD are still clueless as to what became of Amelia in the end.”

“So there's no way of finding out what Amelia did with the baby,” Aila's voice spoke behind Leigh. Leigh turned to see the doctor had followed her, apparently curious at this latest revelation. “And whether or not that baby _was_ Helena.”

“Exactly,” Rat confirmed.

Silence followed. Leigh reluctantly sat on the sofa, staring at Rat's laptop absently.

“The only other thing you can do is attempt to track Amelia yourself, but I wouldn't recommend it. It'd be damn near impossible with the little info we have on her,” Rat spoke again eventually. “We _can't_ afford to get sidetracked now anyway. Perhaps when this is all over, your parents might be able to help.”

“Yeah,” Leigh nodded, agreeing. She knew it would be unfair to distract everyone from Danielle. She was best off focusing on this later.

Aila sat down next to Leigh, sipping her coffee before speaking. “You said before you considered handing Helena over to Leekie,” she began timidly. “That's another possibility, right? Maybe then you'd have your answer.”

“Yeah but we still don't know if we can trust him,” Leigh responded with a shrug. “You were dead against it last time we talked about it.”

“Well what about Rachel?” Aila asked.

“Rachel?”

“Like you said, she'd be a great help if you can get her on our side.”

Leigh stared at her knees, frowning. She could see Rat glaring at her and Aila from the corner of her eye, apparently still hesitant at the idea of trusting someone like Rachel. “She told me not to contact her again,” Leigh muttered. “She might not even believe she's my sister, anyway.”

“You could send her proof,” Aila suggested.

Leigh's head snapped up quickly in Aila's direction, and Rat's eyes grew wider. “Oh _hell_ no,” the hacker spoke loudly. “ _Please_ tell me you're not thinking what I _think_ you're thinking...”

Aila shrugged. “Why not? I mean, who knows...she might want to help us if she knows?” she reasoned.

Leigh bit her lip, before turning her attention to Rat, knowing already that the other clone didn't like this idea. She couldn't deny she wanted Rachel to know about their blood connection more than she was willing to admit.

“Could you?” Leigh asked quietly.

Rat glared at both Leigh and Aila darkly. “On top of looking into DYAD, and Danielle, and Helena, and the lost surrogate, _and_ trying to keep up with my own personal work? Is there anything _ELSE_ I should do for you people while I'm at it?”

Realistically, Rat knew she was the only one who _could_ do any of those things, but she couldn't help feeling annoyed at how the others saw fit to pile her with more and more work every time they had a bright idea.

Aila and Leigh both stared at her, looking taken aback. Leigh frowned. “Never mind about that then. We should just focus on getting Danielle's samples and then get to Canada to see Beth. Rachel wouldn't help anyway...I don't think.”

Rat sighed and rubbed her head. “Sorry, that was out of line,” she muttered, surprising everyone. “Just...give me some time to get to it. I'll see about getting into Rachel's email or something, and dropping off a copy of the original file under an untraceable IP.”

Aila and Leigh stared at her, neither of them expecting any sort of apology. The Swiss clone was known for being short-tempered and sharp-tongued at the best of times, and usually didn't care if she hurt anyone's feelings.

Katja spoke up for the first time in a while. “Ratty's been vorking many more hours zan normal on legit job since she knows vee are running dangerously low on money,” she explained, looking between Aila and Leigh. “On top of doing every other tippy-tappy computer thing for all of us all the time. She is stressed.”

Rat grumbled quietly and looked away, saying nothing, and Aila could almost swear the hacker looked embarrassed. The doctor wasn't sure if it was because of the admission that she'd been trying to do more for the group without them knowing, or just from the fact that doing so was stressing her out.

\--

Rat knocked on Leigh's bedroom door later that evening after everyone had eaten and retreated for bed. The hacker wondered for a moment if Leigh was sleeping already, but she was greeted by a tired voice almost instantly.

“Come in,” Leigh said.

Rat opened the door and stepped into the room to face Leigh, who was lying on her front on the bed, apparently reading Danielle's file.

“I've done it,” Rat said bluntly. Leigh looked right at her, confused for a moment. “Alerted Rachel.”

A pause followed.

“You have?” Leigh asked, surprised. “I didn't think...”

“Didn't think what?”

“Nothing,” Leigh said quickly. “I didn't mean to make you feel like you _had_ to do it. You were right. It could have waited. Katja was right too. We need to be careful with money...you shouldn't have to support all of us by yourself. I hope you know if there was some way the rest of us could work, we would...”

“Forget it,” Rat said with a shrug. “I just hope some good will come of this.”

“What exactly did you send to Rachel?” Leigh asked, bringing the focus back to the original topic.

“A copy of the original files detailing your birth, and hers. I _still_ don't know if she can be trusted, but...”

Leigh nodded. “I _really_ want to trust her. Maybe...she might not even _care._ All this might mean nothing to her.”

Rat closed the door and reluctantly approached Leigh. Leigh sat up straight to let Rat sit down on the end of the bed. “You're nervous for her reaction. I _get_ that. It was the same with me and Katja...”

“Yeah?”

Rat nodded, but offered little else as an explanation. She looked directly at Leigh. “Let's just hope she'll be willing to help us figure out Helena. If she really _is_ 'the missing clone'.”

“And if she _is?_ ” Leigh asked.

“I suppose we'll work that one out when or if it comes to it,” Rat finished.

Leigh nodded again. Rat eventually stood up and approached the bedroom door. “Thanks,” Leigh said, but she wasn't sure Rat acknowledged it or even heard her. She was out of the room and the door was shut without any response.

\--

“You're _sure_ this is a good idea?”

Rat glanced over at Aila, looking unimpressed. “You tell me. It was _your_ idea, doctor.”

A few days had passed since they'd agreed to attempt to blackmail Danielle. Rat had put together a loose idea of when the ice skater jumped out of her lines of security to retrieve her drugs, leaving them very few windows of opportunity. They'd found one such window that Sunday afternoon, after realising Danielle usually left the house alone to walk to a large park to pick up her stuff.

The clones were currently scattered around the park in the general vicinity of the pickup spot, keeping an eye out for their French counterpart while still being in view of each other as well. They planned to grab Danielle and force her into a sheltered area surrounded by bushes, well out of view of the rest of the park in order to talk. It wasn't the best plan by any measure, but it was all they had to go on.

Aila sighed. She felt both guilty and edgy. “I _know,_ but what we're doing is practically kidnap! What if she screams and someone comes running over? And what if she isn't alone like we think?”

“Well we'll have to deal with it if that's the case,” Rat said flatly. She held onto Charles' leash as the old dog wandered around happily. “We know already that we can't waste any more time.”

The park was massive and filled with dogs as well as people, and the clones had brought Rat's dogs along to blend in better. Rat had Charles while Katja took Bianca.

“This is hopeless,” Leigh muttered repeatedly. She was wandering close to a group of trees, ducking out of the way every so often when people walked by. A good twenty minutes passed, and she was sure Danielle hadn't been spotted. She took out her phone and typed a message.

' _Any luck yet?_ '

On the other side of the park, opposite Leigh's area, Rat's phone buzzed. She grumbled to herself to see Leigh's message.

“You too?” Aila called not far away from Rat. She too was holding her phone, having received the same message from Leigh. “I _told_ her we'll alert each other when we see Danielle,” she said tiredly.

Rat glanced up at Leigh in the distance, who waved when she noticed Rat was looking. Rat rolled her eyes. She was sure Leigh was trying to annoy her on purpose.

' _Stop being a troll and look for Danielle,'_ Rat sent back irritably.

It was at that moment that Aila gave a surprised squeal, loud enough to catch Rat's attention despite the distance between them. The doctor ducked behind a large bush and peered around, fumbling with her phone. “ _She's coming!_ ” Aila mouthed to Rat.

Rat hurried back to make sure she was hidden, and called Katja's number quickly.

“Hallo?”

“Katja, Danielle's here – she _just_ walked by – I'm sure she'll be heading to your area within the next minute or so-”

“Ja, I vill grab her.”

“Don't be ridiculous, you're not strong enough to take her by yourself in your condition,” Rat rushed her words as Danielle hurried past. “Just be ready to block her path – the rest of us will come – oh hang on, I think Leigh's seen her too; she's following...”

“Me _and_ Leigh vill grab her zen. Do not vorry. Vee got zis.”

Katja hung up before Rat could get another word in. The German lowered her sunglasses to wear them properly, and watched and waited for a sign of Danielle. It wasn't long before the French clone came into view, her face partially obstructed by a fluffy scarf. As far as anyone could tell, she was alone.

Danielle quickly walked over to a tree with a hole in the side of it, withdrawing a plain brown paper bag that had been stuffed inside. While she opened it to check the contents of the bag, Katja stepped out from the bushes with Bianca and waved.

“Hallo.”

Danielle's eyes widened in shock, though before she could scream, Leigh grabbed her from behind and covered her mouth. Katja helped restrain her, and they both forced her to walk into the bushes where the four clones had agreed to meet up.

Danielle struggled and attempted to throw the other two clones off, but she couldn't overpower them both while her arms were being restrained. She took to trying to kick at Leigh instead, though most of her blows missed.

“Settle down for fuck's sake! We're not gonna hurt you!” Leigh grunted, tightening her grip and avoiding another kick.

“I do not zink she speaks English,” Katja said, keeping a firm hold on the ice skater's arms.

Aila and Rat appeared just a moment later, and Danielle shot Rat a seething glare, even while struggling.

Rat met her gaze evenly. “Cesser de lutter. On ne va pas vous faire de mal, nous voulons juste parler, mais cette fois vous serez bon et écouter.” (“ _Stop struggling. We're not going to hurt you, we just want to talk, though this time you will be good and listen.”_ )

Danielle continued to glare furiously, trying to speak although her words were muffled from beneath Leigh's hand.

“Je l'ai dit assez, ou voulez-vous vraiment vos précieux fans de découvrir que vous êtes vraiment juste un drogué pathétique?” Rat continued casually, raising an eyebrow. _(“I said enough, or do you really want your precious fans finding out you're really just a pathetic junkie?”)_

Danielle froze, her eyes wide as she eyed the other clones warily. “Ce est de la folie!” she shrieked. She forced herself to relax at last, and Leigh and Katja reluctantly let go of her. Danielle stood up straight and dusted herself off, leering at Katja, who was closest, for daring to touch her. “Je ne veux pas savoir...”

Leigh looked around at the others, dumbfounded. “What did she say?”

Rat just stared at Danielle, apparently disapproving of the French clone's entire existence. “She said it's madness and she doesn't want to know.”

Danielle, despite her words, folded her arms and remained quite still as she watched the others expectantly with raised eyebrows.

Leigh squirmed uncomfortably. “Well she HAS to know!” she bellowed, rounding on Danielle now. “Do you hear me? You WILL listen, because I am _sick to death_ of-”

“Leigh, shut your trap,” Rat snapped at her. “She'll listen.”

Aila, who had been silent so far, stepped forward to pull Leigh back. “Let's just stay calm,” she advised. “This doesn't need to be harder than it is already.”

The doctor turned to watch Danielle. Danielle grew agitated to realise all eyes were on her.

There was an awkward pause.

“Eh bien aller de l'avant alors!” Danielle said loudly. _(“Well get on with it then!”)_

“Pas ici. Suivez-nous, et de garder votre bouche fermée,” Rat responded coolly. _(“Not here. Follow us, and keep your mouth shut.”)_

The hacker whipped around and strode away down the path, trusting Katja, Leigh and Aila to make sure Danielle complied. Leigh moodily shoved Danielle forward to make her follow, and Danielle shouted something in angry French at the hairdresser for doing so, but she walked anyway. Katja lowered her sunglasses once more and caught up with Danielle, while Leigh marched on behind.

Aila sighed to herself before joining them. This was going to be a long day.

\--

The clones managed to drag Danielle back to their house and explain properly what was going on. The skater didn't seem overly impressed with the story, though she had to admit she didn't have any other explanation for why there were several other women who shared her face.

“Alors permettez-moi obtenir ce droit, vous devez mes cheveux, le sang, et de la paperasserie en raison des problèmes de santé impliqués dans étant un...cloner...ce droit?” Danielle said slowly. _(“So let me get this straight, you need my hair, blood, and paperwork due to the health problems involved in being a...clone...that right?”)_

“Oui,” Rat nodded.

“Et vous dites qu'il ya aussi quelqu'un là-bas qui pourraient être en train de me tuer?” _(“And you say that there's also someone out there who might be trying to kill me?”)_

“Plus 'peut-être', il _est_ quelqu'un qui essaie de vous tuer. Ce est pourquoi nous sommes venus pour vous avertir ainsi,” Rat said, sounding more and more annoyed. _(“More than 'might be', there_ is _someone trying to kill you. That's why we've come to warn you as well.”)_

“Très bien, je vais vous donner mes papiers et le sang...cependant, il ya quelque chose que je veux en retour,” Danielle said, an almost smug look on her face as her eyes shone with mischief. _(“Fine, I'll give you my papers and blood... however, there's something I want in return.”)_

Rat raised an eyebrow, biting back an annoyed groan at the words. “Qu'est-ce qui pourrait vous voulez peut-être de nous?” _(“What the hell could you possibly want from us?”)_

Danielle grinned slightly. “Je veux que vous me apprendre à parler Anglais. Pour chaque leçon, vous obtenez un morceau de l'information.”

Rat gaped at the French clone, completely taken aback by the demand. “Cheeky bitch!” she exclaimed, glaring at the skater darkly.

“What? What did she say?” Aila asked, raising an eyebrow.

“She wants me to teach her how to speak English in exchange for her information. Said that for each lesson, she'll give us one bit of info. Like hell I'm wasting that much time pissing about with this cheeky cow,” the hacker hissed. She was severely annoyed at Danielle for making such a time-consuming demand when Katja needed to get to Canada as soon as possible.

Rat proceeded to tell Danielle to get lost, which resulted in a heated argument the other three clones couldn't understand. Aila rubbed her temples, knowing it was useless to try and get involved for the time being, while Katja just stared, astonished.

Danielle eventually turned on her heel to leave the house, but Leigh wasn't having it. The hairdresser bolted after her, grabbed her by the shoulder and spun her around to pin her to the wall in the hallway.

Danielle stared at her with wide eyes. Rat came rushing in, stunned by Leigh's behaviour.

“ _Leigh!_ ”

“Do you _want_ her to get herself killed or what?” Leigh snapped at the hacker. “I told you; I'm _done_ messing around! We don't have time for it, and she needs to understand that!”

“Don't you think I've just _tried_ to tell her that?” Rat gasped. Katja entered the hallway then, tugging her sister's arm to keep her calm. Rat ignored her, instead focusing on Leigh, who tightened her grip on Danielle.

“Lâcher-” Danielle began, but Leigh shoved her back again when she attempted to wrestle herself free.

“Shut up,” Leigh snapped at her. “Rat, tell her we'll expose her drug habit if she doesn't co-operate.”

“I already _did,_ ” Rat sighed, though she couldn't deny she was very tempted. “But Leigh, if we DO do that, think of how much messier things will get. She's not going to co-operate then, is she?”

Leigh trembled furiously. “We'll take her samples by _force._ ”

“ _Vat?_ ” Katja gasped.

“Well why not? Being nice has got us nowhere so far, has it? And we're running out of time! So come on, you,” Leigh hissed, dragging Danielle back into the living room to force her into one of the dining room chairs. “Aila, get ready to take her blood.”

“You can't be _serious!_ ” Rat wailed as she followed them back into the room.

Aila glanced up at the hacker and shrugged. “Katja's life _depends_ on getting this done with quickly, Rat,” she said sternly. “I'm sure Danielle will understand how serious we are if we go to such lengths.”

“Vee still need her papervork and such zough,” Katja murmured. She watched with wide eyes as Aila hurried over to pin Danielle to the chair while Leigh searched for something to bind her hands behind it.

“Well let's get her samples first, and it's one less thing to worry about,” Aila said sharply as she rummaged through her bag. She took out a sterile needle and a plastic vile.

“You two help hold her down,” Leigh snapped at Rat and Katja, ignoring Danielle screaming at them in angry French.

“ _Knock it off!_ ” Rat snapped. “Have you even stopped to think this through? If we take her hostage like this, she won't be able to bring us _anything_ , and she'll probably call the cops on us as soon as we turn her loose to bring us things. I'm sorry to say it, but cops can be bought and paid for, and I'm sure she's got the money to organize a cover-up, even if we tell them about the drugs!”

“Well what the hell do you suggest then?” Leigh yelled. “She's giving us fuck all no matter what we do!”

Rat grit her teeth hard, turning to glare down at Danielle, who was watching the exchange with wide eyes. “Très bien! Je vais vous donner vos cours d'anglais putain, mais laissez-moi être très clair en disant que si je le fais, vous allez coopérer et nous apporter ce que nous voulons, ou alors me aider la merde de drogue est hors ainsi que tous les autres mauvais chose que vous avez jamais fait dans votre vie misérable, clair? Pas de flics, rien du tout.”

Danielle stared up at the hacker in surprise as she stopped fighting Leigh, before nodding in agreement.

“Bon,” Rat said with a nod. “Maintenant rester immobile et laisser le médecin ont le sang juste pour être _vachement difficile_. Première leçon commence demain aussi longtemps que vous avez la paperasse à nous donner.”

Danielle looked like she was going to argue for a moment, but then seemed to think better of it as she relaxed completely, watching the other clones warily.

“Get the blood, doc. She'll be good for now,” Rat sighed as she ran a hand through her hair.

Leigh took a step back, expecting the skater to try to run again, but she stayed still. She glanced at Rat in surprise. “What the hell did you say to her?”

“I told her I'd give her the lessons, but if she doesn't keep up her end of the deal, the drug thing will be out as well as every other bad thing she's ever done in her life,” the hacker muttered as she walked into the kitchen to put the kettle on, needing a hot drink now the mess had been mostly sorted. “Damn rich bitch _pisses me off_ already...”

Katja shuffled forward towards her sister while Danielle glowered at Aila. The doctor prepared to draw blood, while Leigh cast a dark glance at the scene before disappearing into the hallway. Katja turned her attention away from them for a minute to focus on Rat.

“Thank God for your logic,” she said in a hushed voice. “Vee vould struggle vizout you, Gina.”

Rat forced a dull laugh, shaking her head at Katja using her real name. She only did that once in a blue moon. “ _Really?_ ”

“Ja; zey vould have gone zrough vith it if it vasn't for you. You are a ragey thing sometimes, but...” Katja trailed off and grinned cheekily.

It was very hard for Rat not to smile back. “Well you're one to talk,” the hacker snapped, fighting to hide a smirk. “You're the most reckless of us _all..._ ”

“I am _allowed_ to be though,” Katja said with a grin. Rat suppressed a laugh as Katja wandered back over to Aila and Danielle to keep a close eye on the situation. The hacker was thankful for Katja's humor and the ability to keep her sane throughout this entire experience.

Rat's grin faltered when Leigh reappeared in the room with her hairdressing equipment. Leigh raised her eyebrows as she innocently carried it across the room to put it in her bag, though why she was suddenly moving it, Rat didn't know.

However, the hacker didn't fail to notice Leigh taking out a pair of scissors and deliberately glaring at Danielle as she snipped the air with them, grinning evilly at the horrified look on Danielle's face.


	27. Chapter 26

Rachel wasn't having fun back in London.

She hadn't been in the mood for DYAD and the people associated with it since she returned from Switzerland. The failed attempt to bring Leigh home safely was bringing her down more than she cared to admit. She told herself it was because she faced consequences for letting Leigh and her new friends go; for aiding them in their escape.

Leekie had insisted on placing a new monitor near Rachel almost twenty-four hours a day to make sure she stayed true to her word and carried out the tasks she was supposed to from now on. Under any other circumstances, Rachel would have argued and worn Leekie down until she got her way like she usually did, but this was different. 

This time she had gone too far, and she knew it. Her excuse for helping Leigh because 'she felt an emotional connection to her' had worked. Leekie fell for it, and he seemed to understand why Rachel was torn on the whole thing...

But his understanding had come with a great warning. Rachel must learn to control her weakness for Leigh. She must start viewing her as a subject and not her friend, because Leigh had done a terrible thing, and she had to be stopped. 

Rachel was content to accept this. Daniel, her new monitor, was another issue. Rachel detested his constant presence. At least before Leigh created this enormous mess, their monitoring had been limited...now Daniel was there always, whether Rachel liked or not.

Well, she didn't like it. She didn't like it one bit. 

At the very least, Daniel was quiet and barely disturbed her from her work. He also did whatever Rachel asked of him without argument, and Rachel was starting to wonder if she could make this new arrangement work for herself after all. Her 'charm' already seemed to be working on him. He had agreed to leave her be for one evening, giving his word to keep it a secret from Leekie. 

Rachel's house was cold when she arrived home that evening, but she was relieved to be there alone.

Unfortunately, when Rachel was alone, Leigh crossed her mind. And with thoughts of Leigh came the regret and annoyance at giving into her and letting her go.

Rachel would distract herself by continuing her work at home, despite finishing at DYAD for the day. Then again, booting up her laptop and signing into Skype only brought her the temptation to make contact with Janet and Spencer again. Rachel resented her own urge to do such things. She should have more self-control. She had told Leigh not to make contact again, and so far the hairdresser had managed it. If Leigh could stick to what they agreed, Rachel certainly could.

So Rachel sat at her kitchen table with a strong cup of coffee for the remainder of the evening to work. After an hour or so of typing and sending out important emails, and after making one or two phone calls regarding Neolution, Rachel sat back to take a small break.

She eyed her email inbox. It had been full of new emails for a good few days, but she always took her time to read them. In all honesty, they bored Rachel terribly, and it was habit to put off reading and responding to them for as long as possible. There was never anything of great importance that sparked her interest.

Tonight would be different.

It didn't take long at all to notice an email from an unknown address as she scrolled down deciding which to read first. Intrigued, Rachel clicked to open it, seeing attachments for various documents...sense told Rachel not to open them. She knew she shouldn't open anything sent in such an anonymous yet conspicuous email, but she couldn't help it.

Rachel didn't understand what she was looking at to start with. She had seen these files before. Many, many times before. She'd looked at them so many times she was sick of seeing them...she must know them inside out, word for word by now...

But something caught Rachel's eye. A lot of the text towards the bottom of the first file was highlighted. In bold. In a larger font. 

This information had never been there before.

It was as though Rachel's mind stopped functioning for a few moments, causing her to sit stiller than she ever had before. What was she even reading? That didn't make sense. That couldn't make sense. That wasn't real; how could it be?

It must be someone's attempt at a pathetic, sick, twisted joke.

Rachel gracefully rose from the table and walked around the kitchen to find herself a large glass of wine. When she sat back down before the laptop, she stared at the screen for almost an hour while she drank.

Would Leigh herself play such a tasteless, awful prank? No, Rachel thought, pouring herself another glass of wine. No, Leigh had her moments, but even after everything, she wasn't going to do something so cruel.

“Leekie's been keeping things from you; from both of us.”

Those were the words Leigh had spoken the last time Rachel was with her. Rachel had never seen her looking so lost and sounding so desperate. She insisted Rachel wouldn't believe whatever 'it' was...

Was this it? 

A heavy, sick feeling overcame Rachel out of nowhere. Of course...that little computer friend of Leigh's...it was entirely plausible she'd gain access to something like this...but was it real? It could still be a lie...but why?

Whatever the reason, Leigh obviously wanted Rachel to know enough to send this information to her. Rachel took out her mobile phone and dialled Leekie's number.

“Aldous, I request your presence at my house immediately,” she spoke when the doctor answered the call. “It is urgent. Do not disappoint me.”

Rachel ended the call before Leekie could even say anything. The time spent waiting for him to arrive became a blur of confused silence and more drinking; Rachel's heart hammering harder as wild thoughts consumed her.

Leekie was there before Rachel knew it. She barely listened to his demands for an explanation, instead leading him over to the laptop and allowing him to see what was on the screen. His expression turned stony and panicked at the same time, and Rachel shook with fury.

“Is it true?” she hissed dangerously.

Leekie glowered at the kitchen table, thinking desperately about how to respond. Slowly, he stood up straight and rounded on Rachel, keeping calm and composed.

“Rachel, what you have to understand-”

“Is it TRUE?”

“Yes,” Leekie admitted, voice barely even a whisper. Rachel's eyes grew wide. Leekie thought she looked momentarily psychotic, and it disturbed him greatly. “It was not personal, Rachel. We had no choice because of unforeseen circumstances-”

“And that makes it acceptable to take a newborn from her family?” Rachel seethed.

“You weren't 'taken from your family'; you still got to know them your entire life!” Leekie snapped defensively. “Rachel, if you'll take just a moment to reflect on your upbringing, you'll remember I always encouraged you to interact with Ashleigh and her parents, and more often than not, you point blank refused-”

“That's not the point, Aldous.”

“We had no choice,” Leekie explained again. He sighed wearily, pressing his palms to his face in an attempt to keep calm. “Originally another surrogate was to have a child for the Duncans, but she went missing. She sabotaged the experiment; not us. You KNOW how important all of this is to our research! The results of yours and Ashleigh's upbringing so far have been extremely beneficial-”

“Oh yes, marvellous considering she's decided she wants nothing to do with DYAD anymore,” Rachel interrupted. Her entire body was trembling now, and her hands were balled up into fists. “Excellent that we've managed to turn her against us completely.”

“No, Rachel, that was you,” Leekie reminded her bitterly. “You made her aware of things she had no place knowing. You HAVE to let this go and focus on bringing her home now, because you're already responsible for everything else that has gone wrong. Let's get Ashleigh back here where she belongs. Only then can we move forward and focus on correcting the mistakes the two of you have made.”

Rachel was lost for words. Leekie left quickly, deciding it didn't matter much if Rachel had been made aware of this. There was nothing she could do about it anyway, and Rachel knew it. 

She hated being unable to do anything. She hated it even more that Leigh had known about this and refused to tell her. And Janet and Spencer...how could they look at Rachel, talk to her, ask for her assistance KNOWING what they had done? What they had put her through?

No, no, no, Rachel couldn't think straight; it made no sense; it wasn't real; it wasn't fair-

Rachel's laptop was on the floor in an instant after an outburst of rage caused her to rush forward and flip over the kitchen table with a terrible scream. The bottle of wine and her glass shattered on the floor, and Rachel kicked the chairs over as well.

Breathing heavily, Rachel fell to her knees. She kept her face in her hands as the realisation of what she had done really hit her for the first time.

Letting Leigh go was the worst mistake she had made yet. DYAD had recently been made aware of the death of Janika Zingler. Leigh was obviously failing to do what she'd set out to do, and Rachel had to fight back another outraged cry to realise this. How could she have thought for one minute Leigh would survive out there? How many more would meet their demise before the killer went after Leigh?

No...Rachel had practically sentenced Leigh to death by allowing her to escape. 

Leekie was right about one thing, however much Rachel hated him right now. Leigh needed to come home. She needed to come home, and when she did, Rachel would never let her go again. 

\-- 

Two long and painful weeks passed since Rat agreed to teach Danielle basic English. The skater would show up every day with a fraction of the information the clones asked her to bring them, obviously trying to draw it out as long as possible.

The other clones tried to stay out of the way as much as possible while the French clone was there, often having to pacify Rat afterwards, who wanted nothing more than to duct tape Danielle's mouth shut. 

“Just three more bits and then we can go,” Rat told them with a tired sigh one evening, already not looking forward to the skater appearing again the next morning. “Jesus bloody Christ, and here I thought Leigh was the only clone who could piss me off on a regular basis...”

“Charmed,” Leigh said dryly.

“At least it's almost over with,” Aila said calmly as she sipped at her coffee. “Then we can go straight to Canada.”

Katja nodded. “It vill be nice to meet Beth in person, and to finally find out who her scientist friend ez.”

“Yeah, hopefully she knows what she's doing,” Rat muttered as she glanced at Katja, unable to hide the concern in her voice. Katja said nothing but shifted over to sit beside Rat, lightly putting an arm around her shoulders.

Suddenly, all four clones jumped as a knock sounded at the door. They froze in fear, looking between each other. Rat stood quickly and retrieved her revolver as both dogs ran over to the door, barking loudly. Rat cautiously looked through the peephole, and blinked in surprise as an irritated groan slipped past her lips.

“It's Danielle. Why the bloody hell is she here now?” she muttered, reluctantly opening the door. “Qu'est-ce que vous voulez?” (“What the hell do you want?”)

The skater was dressed up in a sparkly blue outfit. It almost looked like a dress, but it was far shorter than a dress would be. Danielle grinned brightly and bounced up and down a bit, which made Rat nervously wonder what the normally moody skater was up to.

Danielle slurred something in incoherent French, and not even Rat could understand her for a while. She watched, annoyed, as the skater invited herself into the house with a very girly giggle and stumbled into the living room.

“'Ello!” she said to the other clones, holding a hand up to wave at them. Leigh, Katja and Aila froze as they stared at her. Rat rushed into the room after Danielle, her mouth clamped firmly shut in agitation. 

“Vat are you vearing?” Katja questioned as she eyed Danielle with a frown.

“And why are you so happy?” Leigh shot as though being happy was a crime. The hairdresser was reading a newspaper out of sheer boredom, and she raised it up to her face so she wouldn't have to look at Danielle. Something about the French clone irked her greatly.

“It's an ice skater costume,” Aila said in response to Katja's question. 

“Why – are – you – here?” Rat spoke loudly and clearly as she nudged Danielle's arm to get her attention. Danielle clumsily turned to face her, eyebrows raised in confusion. “Come on, idiot, you know this, I taught you the other day-”

Danielle began chatting away quickly and animatedly, though it came out as gibberish mostly. Leigh threw her newspaper down in a huff and sat up straight. “Why demand to learn English if you're not even gonna use it?” she snapped moodily. 

“I can use it,” Danielle snapped back, proving she understood the gist of Leigh's statement. 

“Really, vhy are you dressed like zat?” Katja asked, apparently awestruck and distracted by Danielle's costume. Danielle appeared not to have heard her, for she was now humming to herself and inviting herself to sit on one of the chairs. Katja looked to her sister hopelessly. “Rat?”

Rat held back a sigh. “Pourquoi etes-vous habille comme ca?” she repeated Katja's question so Danielle could understand. 

Danielle's eyes lit up, and she stood up straight, wobbled a bit, and smoothed down the material fondly. “Boyfriend,” she said simply.

Everyone stared at her. Then they stared at each other.

“Boyfriend?” Leigh repeated, exasperated.

“Boyfriend - Kyle – present,” Danielle attempted to explain.

“The outfit was a present from her boyfriend, Kyle,” Aila spoke up, earning an unimpressed stare from Rat.

“Really? Never would have guessed,” she said dryly. Aila rolled her eyes and shook her head. 

“Danielle, did you actually want something?” Leigh asked the skater bluntly. Danielle just gaped at her, and Leigh swore under her breath and glanced at Rat.

Rat was getting fed up of playing translator, but she repeated the question anyway, she too wanting to know why Danielle was here. 

“If she has no papervork for us, I say kick her out,” Katja grumbled.

“You don't all have to be so mean,” Aila murmured.

“She's a pain in the arse, Aila,” Rat said through gritted teeth. “Oh - the hell are you doing now?”

Danielle lunged forward to grab Aila, who was closest, by the arms to spin her around in an awkward dance move, giggling madly. The others watched, gobsmacked as Aila was helplessly dragged around the room.

“You all must smile more,” Danielle managed when she stopped her laughter. 

Aila looked around desperately at the other clones, her eyes wide. “Guys, I think she's high,” she said bluntly.

“Oh for fuck's sake,” Leigh hissed. She rubbed her forehead roughly and tried to will away her sheer annoyance.

“Of course she ez,” Katja moaned in disapproval. It shouldn't surprise them, really.

Rat could only groan in frustration. “Let's just kick her out. We don't need another incident like what happened with Leigh...”

“That wasn't my fault,” Leigh grumbled, though thinking about it only made her more annoyed at Danielle in that moment.

The skater continued dancing around, very nearly kicking the dogs when they wandered over to see what was going on. Rat grit her teeth hard. “Charles, Bianca, venir,” she ordered them, quickly leading them out of the room to keep them safe.

Danielle giggled. “Aaaaw, why doggies go away?” she asked, somehow still managing to speak broken English even in her state.

“Because you're a pain in the friggin' ass,” Rat muttered as she glared at the skater over her shoulder.

“Am not,” Danielle pouted, before suddenly grinning and spinning around. “'Ee, look- new move - contest to...morrow?” she said, trying to concentrate on her English even as she spun around, making Aila dive out of the way before she got kicked.

“Oi! Watch it, you flamin' idiot!” Leigh snapped as Danielle kicked a lamp over.

“OK, you go bye-bye now,” Katja muttered as she grabbed the skater's shoulders, effectively stopping her spinning as she tried to direct her towards the door. Danielle seemed to have other plans though and easily broke away from the German's grasp. She continued to dance around and show off.

“Someone just shoot me now,” Aila muttered as she face-palmed. Were they really going to have to put up with this until Danielle sobered up?

“Kick her out and call her flamin' boyfriend to come pick her up,” Leigh muttered, though her eyes widened in horror as the skater tried to jump over a chair. Time seemed to slow down, and just as Rat walked back into the room, Danielle looked over at her instead of focusing on her landing.

A sickening crack echoed throughout the room, and the clones could only stare in shock as Danielle fell to the floor, holding her ankle as she screeched in pain.

This was going to be a long night.

\-- 

“I'm pretty sure it's not broken,” Aila sighed as she walked back into the living room. Her head hurt from listening to Danielle's crying. “But it's sprained pretty badly. She needs to get home.”

“Fuck's sake...” Leigh grumbled, rubbing her eyes.

“What now? We can't friggin' wait around for this to heal before she coughs up the rest of her info,” Rat muttered crossly.

Katja murmured something under her breath in German, looking annoyed as well. “Vee can steal papervork?”

“We can't,” Rat snapped. “We wouldn't be able to break into her house with her security.”

“Vee pretend to be her and break in?” Katja offered.

Rat peeked over at the sound of Danielle suddenly calling her name. “Oh for Christ's sake, what does she want?” she groaned, reluctantly standing up. The hacker walked into the spare bedroom where they'd put Danielle, making sure to give the skater her most unimpressed look. “Qu'est-ce que vous voulez?” (“What do you want?”)

Danielle frowned, looking much more sober and serious now she'd calmed down a bit from the initial shock of the injury. “Demain je allais aller à une compétition de patinage, mais je ne serai pas en mesure de maintenant. Il est important que je parais bien, alors... en échange pour vous donner tout le reste de ma paperasse, je veux de vous pour aller à la place.”(“Tomorrow I was going to go to a skating competition, but I won't be able to now. It's important that I appear though, so...in exchange for giving you all the rest of my paperwork, I want one of you to go instead.”)

Rat stared at her, taken aback by the request, though she couldn't deny she wanted the rest of the paperwork sooner rather than later. “LEIGH!” she called as loudly as she could, even as her voice failed her a bit. “KATJA! AILA! Get yourselves in here!”

Danielle leered at Rat, quite sure the hacker was shouting on purpose to make her growing headache more uncomfortable. Rat fixed the skater with a deadly stare while waiting for the others to appear.

“What?” Leigh snapped as she pushed herself through the door. “What's she done now?”

Rat explained what Danielle was asking of them, causing Aila and Leigh to shake their heads in protest.

“Are you for real?” Aila asked.

“No friggin' way,” Leigh growled, clenching her fists. “Can't we just have ONE day where things DON'T go wrong and we DON'T get distracted by some BULLSHIT drama-”

“It's her own fault if she's drugged up to the eyeballs and done herself an injury!” Aila added, temporarily letting her frustration at the entire situation get the better of her. “Maybe she doesn't deserve to be in the tournament.”

“Aila!” Leigh said, surprise in her voice now rather than anger. 

Aila glanced at her. “What?!”

“Nothing,” Leigh said quickly, shrugging. “Just...didn't think you'd agree with me over this.”

“Well I'm pissed off!” Aila told her. 

“Yeah, so am I, thanks for reminding me – anyway, Rat, we're not gonna do it! Why should we?”

“Rat, if vee do zis, vee fuck things up for her,” Katja stated, glaring darkly at Danielle. Everyone fell silent, stunned at Katja's sudden decision to swear. “Does she not care zat vee vould make her look bad? Vhy can't she just be honest and tell zese skater people she ez injured?”

Rat sighed wearily. She had to admit Katja had a point. The hacker turned back to Danielle, who was watching the group intensely. She was very annoyed that she failed to understand most of what they were saying, and she waited impatiently for an explanation. Rat looked at Danielle and repeated what Katja said. 

Danielle stared down at her hands for a moment before sighing. “A vrai dire, non. Je ne me inquiète pas. En fait, je ne reviendrai pas l'esprit que du tout. Je ne veux pas le faire plus, mais ce ne est pas aussi simple que de cesser de fumer. Il y aura des gens importants regarder demain, et se ils pensent que je ne suis pas la peine qu'ils ne voudront pas signer des contrats avec moi. Je serai en mesure de quitter l'entreprise plus facile, et vous obtiendrez les documents que vous souhaitez. Tout le monde gagne, oui?” (“Truthfully, no. I don't care. In fact I wouldn't mind that at all. I don't want to do this anymore, but it's not as simple as quitting. There will be important people watching tomorrow, and if they think that I'm not worth it they won't want to sign contracts with me. I'll be able to leave the business easier, and you'll get the papers you want. Everybody wins, yes?”)

Rat repeated Daniell's words in English. Aila looked severely unimpressed. “So she really does want us to fuck it up for her. I'm almost wondering if she did this whole thing on purpose,” she muttered darkly.

“Deal?” Danielle demanded.

“Shut up,” Leigh snapped at her. “We'll tell you when we've figured it out.” The hairdresser rubbed her head and turned to the others. “Do we really have time to piss about at some stupid contest?”

“It'd take even longer to fulfill our current agreement in her state,” Rat reminded her, somehow managing to be the only calm one of the group at that moment. 

Aila rubbed her eyes, still looking more than annoyed. “Do we even have time to dress up like her? When exactly is this contest thing?”

“Ten...morning,” Danielle supplied, guessing at what Aila was asking from the words she understood.

“Perfect,” Leigh grumbled. She paced back and forth as she thought about what they'd need to do. “We'll need a wig at least, since we have her costume here...” She turned instinctively to face Rat.

Rat stared back at her determinedly. “I'm not doing it, so don't even look at me like that,” she stated dryly.

“Why not if we've just gotta fuck it up anyways?” Aila argued. “You're the only one who can speak French, remember?”

Katja wandered over to Danielle and forced her to sit up, moving her hair to the side. She ignored the skater yelling at her in angry French as she did. The others watched curiously. “Ratty cannot be zee von to be doing it,” Katja agreed as she let Danielle go.

“Why not?” Leigh demanded.

Katja shrugged. “Zee costume has nothing covering zee shoulder area. Ratty has a large tattoo just zere. It vould show, and zey vould know she vas not Danielle.”

Rat nodded and gestured to the clock on the wall. “Exactly. Besides, we don't have time to go wig shopping anyway. It's already turned nine.”

Aila groaned in exasperation when everyone turned their attention to her; their eyes lingering on her long, dark hair. A faint, but keen smile twitched on Leigh's lips for a moment, but she controlled the urge to grin fully, hoping Aila wouldn't notice...but the doctor could already see where this was going, and she didn't like it one bit.

\-- 

“Hold still.”

“But-”

“Shut up – Katja, pass me the hairspray-”

“OW!”

“Well stop moving then!”

“Do you have to be so rough?”

A fairly distraught Aila sat rigidly on a dining room chair while Leigh scurried around to style her hair and make-up. She'd put so many products in the doctor's hair that she lost count, and Aila was growing impatient. She couldn't stop squirming out of nerves, and Leigh had ended up pulling her hair hard by accident.

“Aila, quit complaining,” Rat shot from across the room, though she sounded desperate rather than demanding. “If anyone can do this, you certainly can.”

“Why are you so confident about that?” Aila wailed helplessly. She gripped her hands together at Leigh combing a few knots through the ends of her hair, only to run it through curling tongues to recreate Danielle's hairstyle. 

“Vee have faith in you, doctor,” Katja assured her. “Leigh, vere do you vant zis spray?”

“Here,” Leigh muttered, holding her hand out for it, but Katja barely paid attention and instead sprayed a large amount near Aila's face where she thought Leigh had been gesturing to.

Aila coughed madly. “KATJA!”

“Fuck's sake,” Leigh grumbled, snatching the can from the German. “Go and get the costume.”

“Sorry,” Katja muttered apologetically. She dashed from the room, holding back a cough of her own.

Rat tugged the ends of her own hair as she watched Leigh work. “Just remember the basic phrases I taught you and you'll be fine,” she said in her gentlest and most reassuring voice. “And the names Danielle mentioned...”

“You are all going to owe me big time for this,” Aila grumbled. “I...I don't think I've ever gone ice skating in my life!”

“It's just like rollerblading, but icier,” Leigh said coolly. Rat groaned, unimpressed.

“I don't think I've ever done rollerblading either!” Aila complained.

Leigh held back a sigh. Truthfully, she felt terrible for putting Aila in this situation, and she would have been happy to do it herself if they'd had time to get a wig...it was clearly making Aila more nervous than she originally let on. It was only when Aila hinted at trying to cover Rat's tattoo in make-up and convincing everyone Danielle had cut and straightened her hair to Rat's style that Leigh realised Aila really wasn't up for this. 

But it was too late to change the plan now. They would have to leave soon for 'Danielle' to make her appearance.

Katja shuffled back in, holding the costume out at arm's length. “Vhy vould anyone vear such a hideous zing?” she commented.

Leigh bit down hard, snatched the outfit from her, and rolled her eyes. “Why would anyone wear a bright yellow duck onesie?”

“Zat's different, and awesome,” Katja said coolly. “Zis zough...bleh.”

Leigh rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to Aila, handing her the outfit. The doctor did her best to hide her sigh as she took it and walked into her bedroom to change. As she passed by her mirror, she couldn't deny that Leigh had done an excellent job of making her look just like Danielle. She hardly recognised herself with her mass of curly hair and make-up-covered face. 

Changing quickly, she immediately felt self-conscious and uncomfortable wearing the extremely short skirt. She felt less and less eager to leave the room, but she knew there was no choice. They'd have to leave very soon.

Looking at herself in the mirror, Aila caught sight of a rough and scarred patch of skin on her left arm. “Oh, fuck...I forgot about that,” she muttered. “Shit...wonder if Leigh can cover it.”

Reluctantly, the doctor made her way back out to the others and walked over to Leigh. “Hey...got any concealer or anything?” she asked, reluctantly showing the hairdresser the scarred skin.

Leigh blinked as she looked at the mark. “Yeah, somewhere around here,” she muttered, going through her bag again quickly. Aila sat back down in the chair where she'd been before she changed out of her hoody, already missing its warmth. She didn't want to imagine how cold she'd be out on the ice.

“Ah, got it,” Leigh said, pulling out a jar of cream-coloured make-up. The hairdresser carefully applied the make-up, frowning subtly. “Feel free not to say, but can I ask what this is from?” she asked.

Aila hesitated and then frowned. “Eh...it happened when I was eighteen. Kind of a bad memory,” she said, and Leigh could tell by her face it wasn't a topic that was readily discussed.

“Alright, no worries,” she said quickly, smiling reassuringly as she finished applying the make-up. “There, that should do it. It'll be dark anyway, so hopefully no one will notice,” she said, seeing the concealer didn't perfectly match up to Aila's skin tone.

“Alright, let's get this over with,” Aila murmured, standing again as she tried in vain to make the short skirt cover more of her skin. The plan was for her and Leigh to go to the skating contest while Rat and Katja took Danielle back to her house to retrieve the documents. 

Leigh frowned, feeling even worse about putting Aila through this as she saw just how uncomfortable the Scottish clone really was. She said nothing though, and wished Rat and Katja luck with getting Danielle home before she and Aila made their way out to the road to flag down a taxi. The taxi driver seemed very surprised to see their faces, but thankfully he didn't throw up any kind of fuss as they told him where to go. Aila stared out the window in silence as they drove, her body tense. 

Leigh looked over at her and frowned again. “Aila?” she asked in an almost childlike voice, much the same way she'd addressed the Scottish woman in the airport all those months ago.

“Hmm?” Aila asked, glancing at Leigh with a forced smile.

“Are you gonna be OK? We can still call it off. The bitch wouldn't know any better until later, and we seriously don't owe her anything,” Leigh offered carefully.

Aila stared at her, her smile slowly relaxing and becoming more genuine. “I'll be fine...thanks though.” She took Leigh's hand in her own. “I just...eh...I'm not looking forward to having to skate with Danielle's boyfriend...” she murmured.

“Why?” Leigh asked, curious.

Aila frowned. “I'll tell you afterwards. I kinda don't wanna talk about it beforehand when I need to focus on this.”

Leigh nodded, respecting the other woman's privacy as she shuffled over to her to hug her. “Well whatever it is, try not to worry about it, right? I'll be there in the crowds, and as soon as its over, we'll take off and never set foot in this country again, yeah?”

“Yeah,” Aila agreed with a soft smile, returning the hug. She allowed the contact to relax her and help her focus on getting through what she was about to face. “Thanks.”

\-- 

The stadium around the ice rink filled up fast. Leigh succeeded in keeping her cool, however anxious she felt beneath her determination and blank expression. She managed to blend into the crowd as she stood perfectly still, her face mostly covered by a large, dark scarf, and the hood of her jacket. Her heart skipped a beat every few minutes as she waited.

If she was nervous, she dreaded to think how Aila was feeling.

The Scottish clone sat very tensely in the dressing room. Other contestants rushed about, chatting quickly in French, and Aila strained her ears in case Danielle's name was mentioned. She felt sick at the idea of anyone addressing her. It had been difficult enough arriving and communicating with whoever necessary to prepare for this moment.

She was not up to this. This was insanity.

Aila glanced down at the pair of skates resting at the foot of her chair. She wanted to put off putting them on for as long as possible...it made the situation seem less real somehow...

“Get a grip,” she whispered to herself, before realising someone was approaching her. It was a tall, muscley dark-haired man with a too-perfect face and a too-perfect smile. His teeth were gleaming white. Aila didn't like the falseness that radiated from him. She'd only seen the skater's file a couple of times, but Aila still recognised the man as Danielle's monitor and boyfriend, Kyle.

He pointed quickly to the skates as he fixed Aila with a stare, muttering something in French. Aila barely understood him...but instinct told her to put them on and get ready to go out onto the rink. The Scottish clone sighed and took her time putting the skates on, inwardly hoping she could walk in them without breaking her own ankles.

Kyle said something to her loudly as soon as the skates were on. Aila stared blankly at him, not having a clue what he said. The tall man repeated himself, though Aila still didn't identify any of his words.

“O-oui?” she said dumbly, hoping it answered whatever he was saying.

Kyle stared at her with a raised eyebrow, but shook his head and motioned for her to follow. Walking in ice skates, Aila discovered, was an art unto itself. Several times she nearly fell, and it took all her concentration to make it to the other side of the dressing room. 

She felt Kyle's eyes on her the whole time, but she did her best to ignore him and focus on staying upright. The cold air of the rink hit her full force, making her whole body erupt into shivers. The skimpy outfit did nothing to stop the freezing air from making her feel naked. She didn't understand how anyone could make a living doing this.

Suddenly the doctor felt a hand on her lower back, and she flinched, looking up at Kyle just as the tall man bent down to press his lips against hers. Aila shot backwards and nearly fell over as she looked at him with wide eyes, now shaking for an entirely different reason. 

The doctor took several breaths to attempt to calm her heart. A sense of fear suddenly threatened to consume her. Kyle looked at her in surprise and attempted to come closer, but the doctor held up a shaky hand. “N-non!” she managed. 

Danielle's name erupted over the loudspeakers. Aila bolted out onto the ice as fast as she could in response. Her speed glided her along the smooth surface without struggle, which was impressive in her own mind due to the fact she was still trembling with anxiety.

The doctor tried to push her thoughts aside to focus on moving, although she had no idea how to stop or turn. She was more concerned about staying a good distance away from Kyle for the moment. The flashing camera lights from the crowd blinded her several times. She felt exposed and confused as tried to figure out what to do next. The chill radiating from the ice made her skin numb.

Danielle's name was announced again to the crowd, followed by Kyle's. Aila tried to block out the cheers from the stands as she threw her arms out in front of herself in case she lost her balance and fell face first onto the ice. Her wobble did not go unnoticed by the crowd. A murmur of laughter could be heard. Aila felt her face flush red at the awkwardness of it, but she managed to regain control and stand up straight when she stopped gliding.

Kyle skated over to her, looking extremely perplexed. He stared at Aila as he took her around the waist to get into their start position, and while Aila felt uncomfortable at his touch, she was suddenly aware of the cameras on her. 

A wave of sickness hit her.

If this was being filmed, thousands of people would be watching.

DYAD could be watching.

“Oh shit,” she whispered as this horrific realisation hit her. 

There was no going back now though. Loud music suddenly blared out from the speakers as the lights dimmed and the crowd fell silent. Aila froze in panic. She waited for Kyle to take the lead, and let out a short sigh of relief when he skated back to begin the routine.

But now what was Aila supposed to do? Why on earth hadn't she thought to ask Danielle roughly how the routine went? She had absolutely nothing to go on now, apart from the man before her, who looked increasingly annoyed at Aila's behaviour.

Aila managed to skate back, deciding to improvise and mirror Kyle's moves for a while. It only earned more laughter and confused muttering from everyone, but Aila tried to keep in mind that this was what Danielle wanted...she just had to make sure she didn't give away her real identity...

From up in the stands, Leigh stood with her hands pressed against her face. She'd bitten into her own thumb, feeling so tense she hadn't realised she'd done it. Her heart ached to see Aila down there, looking so lost and visibly scared.

“Oh fuck Aila; I'm so sorry,” Leigh whispered frantically to herself while everyone around her either cheered or laughed. The hairdresser watched helplessly as Kyle took Aila by both hands and swung her around, expecting her to skate off and perform her own moves, but Aila lost her balance, tripped, and crashed into the wall of the rink after skidding across the ice. The entire stadium gasped, including Leigh, who covered her eyes with her hands. She heard the commentators bellow something over the microphone, though she failed to understand. 

Aila shakily stood up. She held onto the side of the rink to help herself balance. Her right arm and leg burned from the friction of the ice.

Kyle skated over to her. He was not happy. “Quel est le problème avec vous?” he shot at her. 

Aila could only stare at him as he again reached for her. The doctor could only allow him to lead her, skating alongside him for several minutes. 

Then, Kyle picked her up. He held Aila above him with one hand. Aila couldn't help herself and screamed, the sound eliciting more confused murmurs and giggles from the crowd, as well as some angry shouting.

And then Aila was falling. She instinctively twisted herself to land upright, but failed, and crashed on her left side. Her elbow took the entirety of the impact with a sickening crunch. Aila skidded across the ice, and what started out as laughter from the crowd transformed into gasps of horror.

The doctor left a trail of red liquid as she skidded, her left arm now bent at an unnatural angle as blood oozed out of it at an alarming rate. A splintered bone could be seen sticking up through the skin. Aila curled in on herself and sobbed loudly from the excruciating pain, completely forgetting about the crowds of people. She was only able to register pain and cold in that moment as her body lay motionless on the ice.

“NO!” Leigh gasped as she watched in terror. She suddenly felt sick, hot tears welling behind her eyes. She never should have made Aila do this. Not only had she been completely publicly humiliated, she'd injured herself badly as well. 

Before Leigh knew what she was doing, she'd made it halfway down the stands and was running towards the rink full tilt, her only thoughts being getting to the doctor's side to help her. Just before she reached the ice, however, she stopped. 

As badly as every fibre of her being screamed at her to go out there, Leigh knew she had to hold back. She couldn't risk exposing them now. The hairdresser could only watch in helpless anguish as medics rushed onto the ice towards the scene. Leigh bowed her head and sobbed to herself.

“Aila, I'm SO sorry...”


	28. Chapter 27

Danielle's house was large but mostly empty. Rat and Katja recognised the butler they'd seen before, who looked momentarily confused as to why Danielle was here rather than at the skating tournament, but the French clone shot him a glare as if to tell him to mind his own business. The butler then left the clones alone, deciding he probably didn't want to know anyway.

“Hand zem over,” Katja spoke bluntly. She held her hand out impatiently. “Zee documents. Fetch zem and hand zem over so vee can get zis over with.”

Danielle lowered herself into an armchair and took a moment to rest her injured ankle while Rat irritably translated Katja's instruction.

Danielle raised her eyebrows and looked to Rat helplessly. “You no _stay?_ ” she asked.

Rat stared at her. “ _What?_ ”

“Drinks? Tea maybe?” Danielle offered.

Katja stuffed both hands in her pockets and scowled deeply, but Rat's expression softened slightly. “We don't really have time,” the hacker said quietly, but it occurred to her instantly Danielle hadn't understood. The French clone sat quietly for a while, staring down at her own hands. Rat thought she looked quite sad. “One drink,” Rat sighed.

Danielle whipped her head around to grin at Rat, and then she was up to grab the attention of the butler. Katja darted forward to help her, but it seemed the skater managed to support herself by holding onto various pieces of furniture as she went.

Katja glared at her sister. “ _Vhy,_ Rat?”

Rat shrugged. “I feel sorry for her.”

Katja looked as though she'd never seen Rat before. “I do not _know you,_ ” she said dramatically.

Rat nodded towards Danielle. ”Read her body language and tell me what you see. Usually you're better at this than I am.”

Katja sighed, but took a moment to observe the skater. “I see an annoying lady who likes making trouble for us,” she muttered.

Rat gave her an unimpressed look. Katja sighed and forced herself to calm down and be unbiased, if only for Rat's sake. She didn't know what her sister had suddenly noticed that she hadn't.

“I think she's lonely,” the hacker continued when it became apparent Katja didn't get it. “Over the last couple of weeks, I started to notice it from different things she's said...to be honest, I think _that's_ the real reason she's been dragging this out. As much of a pain in the ass as she's been, having one drink won't kill us. Besides, we have a few hours until Leigh and Aila will be back from the tournament anyway,” she reasoned.

Katja could only stare at Rat, completely taken aback at her unusually compassionate behaviour. “Who are you and _vat_ have you done vith my sister?" she grumbled, though she sighed and made herself comfortable.

“Hush, it won't kill you,” Rat told her, eyeing as Danielle slowly made her way back over.

“Ready soon,” the French clone said, easing herself down on the sofa opposite them.

“Merci,” Rat replied. She watched as the other clone examined her ankle with a frown. The skin around the injury was red and slightly swollen, and looked very painful. Aila had said Danielle should be fine soon enough though. She'd just need to be careful with it and manage the pain with regular painkillers.

Katja remained standing for a while even after Rat sat down. When the butler arrived with a tray of drinks, Rat glowered at her sister.

Katja held in a sigh. “Cookies?” she asked sternly.

Rat tried very hard not to press her palm into her face, but Danielle seemed content to accept the request. Katja sat down at last and helped herself to some tea while waiting for the butler to return with food.

The three clones were mostly quiet while they drank their tea and ate the cookies. Danielle didn't appear to have much to say. She seemed happy to sit in the company of the other two. Rat felt rather tense and awkward, unsure of what to say, while Katja shovelled as many cookies into her mouth as possible, one after the other.

Danielle reached for the remote for the TV after a bit, making a comment in French about seeing how the tournament was going. Nerves hit Rat as the skater found the channel. She wasn't sure she wanted to see what was happening...but Danielle giggled to herself.

Katja leered at her. “You should not be so happy about zis,” she muttered.

“You really hate the ice skating that much?” Rat questioned. Danielle looked at her expectantly. Rat then repeated the question in French, to which Danielle just shrugged. “Why?” Rat added.

“It is...not fun anymore,” Danielle offered. “Never really was.”

“But taking drugs _is_ fun, ja?” Katja muttered under her breath. Thankfully, neither Rat nor Danielle heard her.

“Why'd you start if it was never fun?” Rat asked, using words Danielle understood. It would be easier to talk in French, but she knew Katja's mood was growing worse by the minute. Rat didn't want to exclude her sister from the conversation.

Danielle hesitated for a moment, before turning the TV off and looking down at her hands. “It was a...erm...concours...contest?” she said, looking to Rat to make sure she got the word right. She carried on when the hacker nodded in approval. “Contest, yes...when I was very little. It was only won by chance. My parents zough, zey wanted that I kept at it. I never had many friends in school, so I agreed to more lessons. Few turned into many, and parents kept demanding more of me...zey wanted that I become famous and compete in Olympics one day. I did not want to disappoint them, but...” she trailed off and sighed. “Never 'appy. Always wanting more. Why bother when doing zeir wish makes me miserable?”

Rat nodded in understanding. “Yeah,” she agreed.“It's hard to please parents sometimes.”

“Vell zey should be more understanding,” Katja scorned as she sipped her drink. “Parents...zey are zere to guide and love, not to make kids do only vat _zey_ vant zem to do.”

“Sadly it doesn't always happen that way, Katja,” Rat told her. “Hell knows _my_ parents were impossible to please.” Turning her attention back to Danielle, Rat frowned slightly. “When the backlash of this whole mess gets out, do you think your parents will at least try to understand?”

Danielle raised an eyebrow, and Rat repeated the question in French. The skater looked down, a shadowed look suddenly crossing her face before she masked it with a forced smile. “It does not matter. Nobody will miss me.”

Rat stared at her, her heart skipping a beat. Did Danielle just mean nobody would miss her on the skating scene, or did she mean something far worse? The hacker glanced at Katja, who stopped eating as her thoughts wandered into similar territory.

Before they could question her further, Danielle stood up. “Merci. I will get things for you now.” Danielle left the room as quickly as she could manage with her ankle. Rat and Katja could only watch her leave, before focusing their attention on each other.

“She didn't mean what I think she meant just then...right?” Rat asked quietly.

Katja shook her head. “I do not know.”

Suddenly, Rat's phone rang. She glanced down at the display. “It's Leigh. Wonder if they finished early.” She hit the button and held the phone to her ear. “Yeah?” For a moment, the hacker was startled to hear crying on the other end of the line. “Leigh? What happened?” she asked urgently.

“It's Aila...” Leigh said, finding her voice after taking a deep breath. “She's been hurt badly.”

Rat paled and looked at Katja with wide eyes, her gaze travelling to Danielle as the skater re-entered the room. “Hurt how? Did Helena attack her?” the hacker asked. Katja's eyes widened in horror.

“No, it...it was an accident on the ice. God, we _never_ should have made her enter that stupid tournament!” Leigh said, and Rat could hear the guilt in her voice.

“Calm down and tell me where you guys are. We'll be there shortly,” Rat instructed. She nodded when Leigh told her the name of the hospital. “We're on our way.” Rat hung up and faced Katja and Danielle. “Aila was injured on the ice, and apparently it's pretty bad. They're at the hospital now.”

“Vee are going zen,” Katja stated, roughly snatching the papers from Danielle as she passed her.

“I am going too,” the French clone said firmly.

Katja glared at her, but Rat sighed and offered a hand to help support Danielle, not having the time or energy to argue about it. They needed to get to Leigh and Aila. Nothing else mattered for the moment.

Katja crossly muttered something under her breath, but said nothing else and flagged them down a taxi.

\--

Entering the hospital was sickeningly familiar to Rat and Katja. It was as if they couldn't escape hospitals, someone always ending up hurt somehow wherever they went. Rat continued to help Danielle walk as they looked around the waiting room.

It didn't take long to spot Leigh sitting in the corner, her face in her hands as she waited to hear any news about Aila. The clones approached her, though Leigh barely acknowledged them.

Katja frowned and put an arm around the hairdresser as she sobbed. People around them looked on curiously, some of them whispering Danielle's name. Danielle herself wanted nothing more than to disappear in that moment. She felt absolutely _horrible_ that Aila had gotten hurt.

“I am _sorry_...” she said to Leigh quietly, meaning it as she fought back her own tears. Leigh just shook her head, not looking up as she leaned into Katja. Her shoulders shook as she cried.

Danielle frowned, staring down at her hands before she closed her eyes. “Ce est de ma faute...ce ne est arrivé parce que je suis tellement égoïste...” she murmured to herself. _(“This is my fault...this only happened because I am selfish...”)_

Rat glanced at her, and then at Leigh. She had no idea what she could do to help either of them in that moment. She didn't know what time Leigh had gotten here, but the hacker hoped they heard good news soon. The rest of them didn't know the extent of the injury, though they didn't have the heart to press Leigh for details yet.

Leigh eventually ceased her crying, instead settling for falling into an uncharacteristic silence as she looked up at the other clones. Katja remained with her arm around her. “Leigh, vat happened?” she asked gently.

Leigh swallowed hard and took a deep breath. “She just...well she's not a _skater_ , is she? She was thrown and she didn't land how she was supposed to...”

“Oh God,” Rat whispered, horrified.

Leigh sniffed a few times as she pulled herself together. “They were saying something about her arm, but there was _so_ much blood – I dunno what really happened – nobody will tell me anything-”

“It's OK,” Katja said soothingly. She rubbed Leigh's back gently while Danielle took a seat next to the hairdresser, she too on the verge of tears.

Rat remained standing, glancing around for a sign of a doctor approaching them. She wanted to feel angry at Danielle for a moment, but it was clear how upset the skater was, and Rat found she didn't have the heart for it after understanding Danielle a lot more. It was hard not to pity her...

“Oh damn,” Rat blurted out, eyes wide. The figure of a man came into view from behind the glass in the hospital doors, and Rat knew who he was immediately from his glittery, flamboyant skater outfit. Kyle burst into the room, banging the doors open as he did, desperate to see his girlfriend.

Rat flailed for a moment before turning on the spot and rushing over to the clones to stand in front of them. She managed to block their faces from view, but it seemed Kyle was far too distracted looking for doctors to notice them huddled together for the time being anyway.

Danielle peered around at the sound of Kyle's voice. “Oh _merde,_ ” she gasped in horror.

“Is he the type to cause a scene?” Rat asked her as the clones huddled together to hide their faces.

“Um...maybe?” Danielle offered.

“Isn't that her monitor as well?” Leigh asked tiredly, her head hurting from the entire stressful ordeal. If Danielle's monitor decided to grass them up to DYAD, Leigh wasn't sure if they'd be able to escape again like they did in Geneva.

“Ja,” Katja nodded, remembering him from Danielle's file.

“Bloody perfect...” the hairdresser groaned.

Danielle looked to Rat for some type of explanation, not understanding much about monitors yet. Rat sighed and explained that all clones had at least one person to keep tabs on them and report things back to the people who created them. Danielle was shocked. She returned her gaze to Kyle as he stood at the front desk, speaking with the secretary.

“Il espionne sur moi?” Danielle asked, looking both hurt and betrayed now. _(“He spies on me?”)_

“Oui.” Rat sighed.

“Fournier?”

Everybody's heads shot up at the sound of Danielle's surname. Kyle looked over and ran towards the nurse, speaking in rushed French.

Leigh grit her teeth and stood up. “Come on. I'm not bloody well letting that tosser stop me from seeing Aila.” She followed after the nurse.

The rest of the clones stood and walked after her. They followed behind the nurse until they reached the room. Kyle went in without looking back. The nurse paused in surprise as she saw the group of identicals, but said nothing as they rushed past her to enter the room as well.

Aila was lying in the white hospital bed, still asleep from being sedated. Her arm was bound in bandages and secured in a sling. The doctor was pale, even with the make-up on, her face and arms dotted with scrapes and bruises from skidding across the ice. Danielle froze at the sight, momentarily spooked to see Aila looking just like her.

“Aila...” Leigh whimpered, covering her mouth with her hand.

Kyle, who had been standing beside the bed, glanced over his shoulder at the group of clones. His eyes grew wide in shock and confusion as he saw Danielle, looking back and forth between her and Aila.

“Faaaack,” Katja blurted out. The German whipped out her sunglasses from her pocket and hastily threw them on her face, almost placing them upside down. Rat could only glance at her sister in disbelief that Katja thought she could hide now.

“Wha- _what?_ ” Kyle exclaimed. He had turned pale as well now. “Danielle?” His eyes darted between the clones, and suddenly he was spinning on the spot to look back at Aila.

“Kyle,” Danielle said desperately, stepping forward carefully with raised hands. “Kyle...”

Kyle froze completely for a moment as Danielle hurried forward to tug him by the arm. He could not find it in himself to resist Danielle urging him out of the room, instead temporarily paralyzed by what he was seeing. The other clones watched in horror as the doors closed behind the couple, only for them to see Kyle finally react in anger when Danielle talked at him in a raised, angry voice.

Rat pressed hand to her forehead. “Great,” she whispered, eyes shut tight. “ _Bloody great..._ ”

“Someone ez going to have to make sure Kyle does not blab or freak out _too_ much,” Katja stated. Her eyes fell on Rat, and she pulled a child-like, hopeful face.

Rat bit back a frustrated groan. She threw a glance in Aila's direction. She knew Aila didn't need to wake up to angry arguing outside of the room after what had happened to her...

And of course, Rat was the only one who spoke Kyle and Danielle's language.

“The things I DO for you people!” she grumbled as she burst through the doors.

Rat came to an abrupt halt when Danielle and Kyle froze mid-argument to stare at her in shock. The hacker simply folded her arms and raised her eyebrows to express her disapproval.

“Go,” Danielle said to her. She made a shooing gesture with her hand as if to tell Rat to go back to the room. “Go – I can sort zis.”

Kyle's large brown eyes grew extremely wide. “When did you learn _ENGLISH?_ ”

“Is that _really_ a concern right now?” Rat snapped at the man. “Oh whatever, just shut up and listen. This isn't the time or the place for you to be arguing.”

Kyle stared at Rat in disbelief. He was clearly having trouble coming to terms with the fact there were other women with Danielle's face. Rat wondered what Danielle had said to him so far.

“Fine...we can go...” Danielle said, but she paused when Rat fixed her with a pointed glare.

“Oh no you bloody well don't. _You_ aren't going anywhere until you apologise to Aila for what you made her do for you,” the hacker said firmly. While she was starting to like the French clone more, this was one thing she wouldn't let her get out of.

Danielle frowned then, suddenly looking very guilty again. “I did not know she would be _'urt!_ ” she whined pathetically.

“I don't care. As soon as she wakes up, you're _going_ to be in there apologising,” Rat ordered with a final tone. Then she looked at Kyle. “And _you –_ don't play completely dumb. You're her monitor, right? You report back to DYAD.”

Kyle looked shocked that the pale clone knew this, and he averted his gaze guiltily.

“Exactly. Did you never wonder _why_ you've been doing that?” Rat asked dryly.

Danielle glared up at Kyle then. “Why?!” she demanded.

Kyle ignored her in favour of leering at Rat. “How the hell do you _know_ about all of this?” he demanded.

“I have my sources,” Rat told him, not at all intimidated. “If you want to know why there are so many people with the same face, I can give you an overview of the situation, but right now, we need to come to some sort of agreement about what you're going to tell DYAD when they contact you about the incident. So are you going to work with us or against us? I'm afraid there's no middle ground.”

\--

Back in the room, Aila groaned lowly as she opened her eyes. Her head pounded, and she could barely see from the residual effects of being put under. She felt someone take her hand carefully, turning her head to see an unmistakable flash of auburn hair that she'd recognise anywhere, even if the person wasn't fully in focus yet.

“Leigh...” she murmured, her eyes adjusting to the light. “Katja...” she added upon seeing the German appear over Leigh's shoulder.

“Aila...” Leigh responded quietly. “I'm SO sorry. We never should have made you do that.”

Aila seemed confused for a moment, before memories of the skating incident flashed through her mind. She cringed and looked down at her injured arm. She'd never been more thankful for a morphine drip than she was in that moment.

“I agreed though, didn't I?” Aila whispered tiredly. “Nobody...nobody made me...”

“Yeah, but still,” Leigh responded. She leaned closer to Aila, wanting to hug her, but scared of causing her more pain or discomfort. “You scared the shit out of us.”

Katja nodded in agreement as she neared the bed. Aila held back a tired sob. “Could have been worse,” she said bravely, though it was clear the incident had shaken her up. “Could have been my neck.”

“Oh God, don't even,” Leigh began, rubbing her eyes now.

“If you need or vant anything, Aila, you tell us,” Katja spoke up. “Vee owe you big time for zis.” She glanced back at the door for a moment, where behind it, Rat, Danielle and Kyle were still talking. “So does _Danielle._ ”

“Shit, is she here?” Aila squeaked. She attempted to sit up so she could see through the glass in the door, but Leigh urged her back down.

“Rat's dealing with her,” the hairdresser said. “Don't fret for now.”

Aila nodded, but she felt anxious. She resisted the urge to squirm uncomfortably. “I'd like to get all this hideous make-up off,” she spoke in a low voice. “And the hair...it has to go.”

Leigh laughed a bit, even as another tear escaped her. “You insulting my work, Aila?”

Aila managed a smile. “I'd just rather be me again.”

Katja nodded and made her way to the door. “Ja, so vould vee. I can bring your zings from the house. Pink hoody and all.”

Aila nodded to her with a tired smile as she tried to relax a bit. “Thanks...”

Katja opened the door, and raised an eyebrow to not see the corridor was now empty. Curious, she sent Rat a quick text asking where she was. Her phone buzzed a moment later.

_'End of hallway at chairs with the others. Had to move them from corridor. Started to cause another scene.'_

Katja typed a reply. _'Aila is awake. I'll get things from house for her.'_

_'I'll go with you. Need a break from these two.'_

Katja snorted and shook, but she leaned against the wall and waited for Rat. Somewhere in her mind she wanted to argue that she could handle it by herself, but she knew it would be pointless to do so. Besides, she didn't doubt Rat really wanted an excuse to get away from the bickering couple.

A few minutes later, the German glanced over and saw the trio walking up the corridor. Danielle and Kyle both looked angry and refused to look at each other, and Rat just looked exasperated. When they reached the door, Rat glanced at Danielle and gave her a stern look. The skater snapped something in French and then walked into the room, leaving Kyle out in the corridor. Rat looked at him for a moment, before turning her attention to Katja.

“Let's go,” she said with a sigh, making her way towards the front of the hospital. “What do we need to get from the house?”

“Vee need Aila's hoody, and Leigh's box of hair thingies,” Katja told her. “Aila does not vant to be Danielle anymore. She ez shaken up badly from zee whole zing...”

“Don't blame her,” Rat muttered. “I told Danielle to go and beg forgiveness for what happened. No way in hell was she getting out of that one. Personal problems or not, she owes Aila big time.”

Katja nodded firmly. “As soon as doctor is better, vee leave zis place. No more pissing about. Vee _must_ go to Canada.”

\--

When the door to the room opened and Danielle walked in, Aila stared at her blankly. Her uninjured hand fidgeted slightly as it clenched and unclenched the bed sheet, betraying her anxiety.

“This enough of a fuck-up for you?” Aila asked, her voice flat and void of emotion.

Danielle lowered her head, feeling even more guilty as she looked at the Scottish clone. She made herself cross the room as best she could with her ankle before sitting down in the chair beside Leigh, who remained silent, even as she gave the French clone a hard stare.

“I am _so_ very sorry...” Danielle whimpered. She repeated the words Rat had taught her, wanting to make sure her apology was as accurate as possible. “I _never_ zought zat somezing like zis would 'appen!”

Aila suddenly felt very awkward and uncomfortable as she remained silent. She glowered down at her bandaged arm. It was beginning to throb again. She didn't have the energy to argue, but if she was starkly honest with herself, she wasn't ready to accept the French clone's apology yet. The agony, humiliation, and trauma of the incident were still too raw.

\--

Danielle didn't sleep that night. She left the hospital with an angry Kyle, only to be followed and harassed by journalists and eager fans who wanted to hear her side of the story, all of them intrigued and confused as to why the French clone suddenly appeared unhurt and ready to leave. Distraught, Danielle ignored them completely and allowed Kyle to drive her home, though deep fear set into her that these events didn't add up. Would the public work out the truth? They _must_ have seen the other clones hanging around the hospital. They'd seen Leigh's face at the fancy party, after all, and there had been rumours and gossip circulating the 'two Danielles' then as well.

It occurred to her later, when the shock of Kyle being her monitor wore off, that this DYAD organisation might cover it up somehow. If this experiment was so important to them, they'd surely go to great lengths to make sure it remained unexposed.

_Why_ though? Danielle found it disgusting they could abuse human life like this. She found it disgusting her own boyfriend had been involved in it all along.

She supposed it made sense though. That night, Kyle explained that yes, he had been made to observe and take notes on Danielle, and encourage her to take her ice skating career as far as possible. It explained why he constantly pushed her, just as her parents once had – were they her original monitors? Danielle felt as though she never really knew them. She had not seen or heard from them properly in years. It made sense that Kyle had taken over their role of pushing her to perfection...and now she knew why.

Kyle was angry; angry that Danielle would run away from this; angry she would talk another clone into taking over and ruining the tournament, because this had been as much of opportunity for fame and glory for him as it had been for her, and now this Aila clone had _ruined_ that...and surely DYAD would be angry at _him_ for not keeping a close enough eye on Danielle; for not realising she'd been meeting these other subjects.

It was clear to Danielle that Kyle was just as shocked and disgusted at the existence of human clones, but his anger was far too great for Danielle to try and feel for him. When she asked why he agreed to spy on her for DYAD, Kyle could not provide an answer, instead turning the discussion around to the fact Danielle had failed.

_Failed_ , like it was some sort of test. It was then that it really sunk in. DYAD _wanted_ to see how a clone would react to fame. Danielle didn't know much about DYAD, but she knew she despised them already. This revelation only strengthened her resolve to quit skating. She would do what she wanted to do, not what some twisted corporation wanted her to do.

After hours of angry shouting and blaming, Kyle left the house. He said he needed some air and that he would be back later. Danielle couldn't deny wanting the space in that moment. The skater poured herself a drink, and reached for her small bag of white powder...but she paused before adding it to the glass.

Had this been part of the experiment as well? She couldn't even remember when or why she first tried cocaine. It had been so long since she'd started using. Now it was just routine to take it whenever she felt depressed, which had been more and more in recent months. The drug-induced sense of false happiness was a comfort when she never felt anything close while sober.

Danielle sighed and reluctantly pulled her hand away from the bag, instead downing her drink and placing the glass aside. She paced back and forth through her bedroom as she watched the clock slowly move through the evening, her thoughts growing darker and darker.

Making her way to the bathroom, the skater stared at her reflection. How much of her life had been hers? Or had it all been a lie, directed as if she was merely a puppet in a play? Danielle saw her own tired eyes staring back at her, and sighed as she leaned against the sink.

“I can't do zis anymore.”

\--

The following morning, Aila woke up slowly and sighed, rubbing her eyes. She'd barely slept. She'd been moved up to the third floor of the building when a proper and private room opened up.

Considering Danielle's status as a celebrity, it astounded Aila it took so long to be moved into a proper room, but she didn't say anything about it. There wasn't much she could say regardless since she didn't speak French.

The doctor looked down at her arms. Her bruises had only grown more vivid overnight, and her scrapes felt sore, even as they healed. Aila tried to sit up, and managed to do so after a few minutes of struggling with her good arm. She wondered how long she'd be stuck here. She didn't know the extent of the break, but she recalled seeing part of a bone sticking up through her skin before she'd passed out, and that alone told her it was bad.

The doctor muttered something under her breath and rubbed her eyes. At least Leigh had taken all of the make-up off, though she still had Danielle's curly mass of hair remained. It felt as though it had turned into a bird nest overnight.

“Should you be sitting up?”

Aila glanced over to see Leigh standing in the doorway. She managed a guilty smile as she saw the hairdresser's unimpressed look. “I'm fine to sit up, thank you very much,” she said, pleased to see the other clone.

Rat stood behind Leigh, shaking her head slightly, though she didn't comment as they walked into the room. “How're you feeling?” the hacker asked as she sat down near the bed.

“Like ass,” Aila admitted. “Though better than yesterday. At least I don't have a migraine today. No Katja?”

“No, not today,” Rat said with a sigh. She stretched a little and gazed at her knees. “She's not feeling too good. She's keeping the dogs company anyway.”

“Yeah,” Aila said with a nod. It wasn't surprising if Katja opted to say indoors sometimes, though Aila worried about her being left entirely on her own. What if she lost all her energy and passed out or took some other turn for the worse?

Aila shook her head to herself. It would do no good to think like this, especially in the state she was in.

“Yep, so you're stuck with just us, I'm afraid,” Leigh said in a teasing manner.

“I can handle that, as long as you behave,” Aila laughed a bit.

Rat and Leigh glanced at each other, both refusing to acknowledge the two rarely managed being in the same room without causing _some_ sort of drama.

“And Danielle?” Aila asked suddenly. Her tone was much more serious now.

“Haven't heard from her,” Leigh said with a shrug. She gently took some of Aila's dishevelled curls in her hand, looking quite sad at the sorry state they were now in. “Though the press is going mad about what happened. You should see what they've been saying. I bet Danielle doesn't wanna show her face – can I please straighten your hair already? It's doing my head in.”

Aila managed a slight smile. “Please do. It feels hideous.”

“It _looks_ hideous,” Leigh told her. “Rat, pass me that bag – the one under your chair.”

Rat obeyed without argument and passed Leigh a bag Katja had brought in the previous day. “I'm taking it Danielle's apology didn't go down well,” she murmured. “She was very upset when she left.”

Aila froze. Now some of the shock had worn off, she was torn about how she'd reacted to Danielle. She still felt as though she had the right to be annoyed, though.

Rat seemed to read her mind, because she stared thoughtfully at Aila as she sat up straight. “ _We're_ sorry too,” she said bluntly. “It was a complete waste of time, and it wasn't worth it. We shouldn't have expected you to do it.”

Aila shrugged as Leigh started working on her hair. “Nobody could have predicted this, and I agreed to do it. Leigh gave me the choice to back out on the drive over there and I chose not to take it. What happened from there was my doing and nobody else's. Stop blaming yourselves.”

Rat narrowed her eyes slightly, but bit back whatever she wanted to say. She had a feeling arguing with Aila wouldn't be effective, and would probably only cause more stress for the doctor. “How long do you think you'll be stuck in here for?” she asked instead.

“I don't know. I can't tell how bad the break is. I think it mostly depends on how well I can manage the pain by myself. Granted...given the circumstances of my teenage years, it's become a bit of an art to ignore pain and get on with it, so...a few days maybe? I'd just like to rest for now, then we can talk about going to Canada.”

“I don't want you to just ignore it, Aila,” Leigh snapped suddenly, looking down at the Scottish clone. “Stay put until you're _actually_ fit to leave.”

Aila blinked in surprise and glanced up at the hairdresser, though rather than seeing anger, she saw ony raw emotion – the residual effects of fear. She frowned, her eyes softening slightly. She couldn't imagine what it had been like for Leigh to have seen the injury; to have seen the blood and to have heard the crying...and to have been unable to do anything. She had to keep reminding herself that Leigh wasn't used to seeing the things she'd spent a lifetime seeing.

“I'm sorry,” Aila told her sincerely.

Leigh sighed and shook her head, carefully running a brush through the long curly hair in small sections. She brushed it very carefully to avoid causing the doctor more pain, needing to get the knots out before she could straighten it.

“Just...don't pretend like nothing happened,” Leigh muttered after a moment.

“I'm not pretending anything of the sort,” Aila said evenly. “I know it happened, but that doesn't mean we don't still have a job to do. Now we have the rest of Danielle's information, we need to get to Beth and figure out how to stop Helena once and for all. I could sit around dwelling on it, but how would that help us?”

Leigh froze mid-brush, suddenly finding herself back in an alleyway in Glasgow. Aila had said nearly exactly the same thing then, even after being shot at. Leigh still didn't know how she could put things behind her so easily.

“How the hell do you _do_ it?” she muttered.

“Do what?” Aila asked, lost for a moment.

“Just...get on with things. You were exactly the same after coming inches away from being shot in the head.”

Aila was silent for a moment as she mulled over the question. “It just takes practise, I suppose.”

Rat stayed silent during the exchange, looking down at her phone as she again tried to send a text to Danielle. The hacker felt slightly out of place in the room, but she didn't let it bother her. If she was honest, she was glad Leigh and Aila had each other. They needed to maintain that bond as much as possible, especially in such a desperate and bleak situation.

\--

The hacker and the hairdresser returned home that night to be welcomed by a very sleepy Katja. The clones didn't like there being one person short in the house, but it wouldn't be long before they'd all be making their way to Canada with Aila. It was just a matter of waiting.

“Beth called,” Katja stated when she, Rat and Leigh sat together for dinner. “She ez impatient.”

“As always,” Rat grunted.

“She ez having boyfriend issues,” Katja explained. She stuck a fork into her mouth and kept it there while she reached for her laptop with both hands. “I do not zink she ez very happy vith zis Paul fellow.”

“Yeah, her and Danielle both,” Leigh murmured. She was prodding her meal with her knife, tempting herself to eat more than her stomach would currently allow. “He was mega pissed at her...Kyle...”

“Yeah, and that's why I've been trying to get in touch with her all day,” Rat complained. She instinctively took out her phone to gaze at the screen. “She's an annoying little diva, I know, but...”

Leigh nodded and set down her knife and fork at last before pushing her plate away. “I was re-reading her file earlier,” she admitted quietly.

“She's unhappy,” Rat said bluntly.

Leigh nodded. “Yeah...maybe we should offer to take her with us. Maybe she'll be nicer if she gets away from this place for a while.”

“Might do her good,” Rat nodded. “Look...I think she's holding back a lot more than even her monitor realises. When Katja and I were talking to her before, just a bit before you called us...she said something that's been bothering me a lot.”

Katja nodded quietly, knowing what Rat was talking about. Danielle's words had stuck with her as well for their possible double meaning.

“What?” Leigh asked, looking between the sisters.

“We were talking about her parents, and when I asked if they would try to understand when the backlash of the skating incident got out, she said something along the lines of _'It doesn't matter, no one is going to miss me'_ , but then she ran out of the room before we could ask what she meant,” Rat explained.

“Shit...” Leigh breathed. “And you haven't been able to contact her at _all_ since she left the hospital?”

“Not even once,” Rat confirmed, unwilling to show just how worried she actually was. She couldn't deny she'd started forming a bond with Danielle over the course of their lessons, and even more so when she understood the French woman better.

“Vith zee media going crazy over the many Danielles, it von't be vise to go over to her house,” Katja said after a minute, frowning. “I do not know how vee can get close enough to make sure she is OK.”

\--

Night had fallen over Paris when the call came in.

It took Rat several minutes to open her eyes to the sound of the ringing, blindly reaching for her phone as she attempted to return to consciousness. She was confused by the fact the clock told her it was nearly one in the morning. Who the hell would be calling at this hour?

After a moment of fumbling in the darkness, the hacker managed to hit the button on the phone and put it to her ear as she turned the lamp on. “Hello?”

For a moment the line was silent before a quiet voice spoke. “'Ey...sorry if I woke you...”

Rat blinked, surprised at the voice, which matched that of a clone but with a soft French accent. “Danielle! Jesus Christ woman, I've been trying to get hold of you. Are you alright? Why haven't you answered my texts?”

“Sorry...just been doing some zinking about everyzing zat 'appened...” Danielle told her, and Rat immediately felt like something was wrong.

“What's up?" Rat asked bluntly, standing to aimlessly walk around the room to help herself wake up.

“Who says anyzing is up?”

“Danielle, don't try to bullshit me. It won't work, especially not at this hour. What's up?” Rat said, forcing her voice to be gentle despite the harsh phrasing of her question.

The French clone was silent for several minutes before Rat heard what sounded like a muffled whimper. The hacker blinked, surprised. Was Danielle crying?

“Hey, talk to me...what's going on. Are you hurt?” Rat asked gently, sitting on the edge of her bed.

“I...I do not know if I can do zis anymore...” Danielle admitted quietly, and Rat felt her heart stop for a moment at the skater's words, her fears from the other day suddenly re-entering her mind.

The hacker bit her lip, knowing she'd need to choose her words very carefully. “Tell me exactly what's going through your mind right now. Don't censor it, just tell me,” she said calmly.

Danielle gave a shrill but hollow laugh. “What's on my mind? Let's see. My boyfriend 'ates me and left me, and is also a creepy spy. Parents 'ave all but disowned me, and are also creepy spies. Career is over, and zough zat was zee end goal, my agents 'ave told me zat no one will ever want me to work for zem anywhere after showing such unreliability. I realised zee only zing zat's been keeping me feeling like something close to 'uman is my coke, and zee kicker to zat is zee fact zat I've never been 'uman to begin wiz! I'm just zee end result of some freak experiment zat's pretty much made my 'ole existence a puppet show. At zee end of the day, what's even zee point...if I'm just gonna be a puppet for zee rest of my miserable existence, why not just cut zee strings early...”

The former skater abruptly fell silent then, as if she hadn't meant to say that last part out loud. Rat closed her eyes tightly, now knowing she was right. Danielle was suicidal. The fact she called someone rather than ending it gave Rat hope that the French clone could be led away from the edge, though. She just hoped that words alone would be enough. She wouldn't be able to reach the other clone in person in time.

“You're probably expecting some long-winded speech about how it's not worth it, and how things will get better, right? Well I've been there, and I can say right now hearing all that doesn't make you feel better, because when it doesn't hold up to the stark reality of the world, it drives you that much more crazy,” Rat told her quietly, speaking in French now to ensure nothing was lost in translation.

The hacker paused for a moment, hoping Danielle would stick around to listen to the entirety of what she was going to say. “Fact is, it sucks being a clone. Most of the time, we don't get a whole lot of happiness because of what we are, and because of who our creators are. It's just how things are. Would it be easy to give up and say you're done with it? Absolutely. However, in my mind at least, that's the same as letting them win. Letting them own us and make our lives into puppet shows.”

Danielle was quiet for a moment before sighing. “I suppose...what can we do to change it zough? Zey'll always be above us, finding ways to control us. We're not even _people_ , just _shadows_ of 'uman...” she said, continuing to speak in English as best she could. Rat couldn't help thinking the French woman really had retained quite a lot of what she was taught.

“Maybe so, but then again, the only way that's ever going to change is if we stop letting them have all the control. It doesn't matter that we were born of science. We _are_ people. We all have our own lives and thoughts and dreams, right?” Rat asked, remembering when she needed to say the very same thing to Katja. “Look, I know everything sucks, and like I said, I can't promise it'll ever not suck, but...come _with_ us, Danielle. We're planning on leaving for Canada soon, to meet up with another clone who's going to try to help us. It's your choice in the end, but...who knows. You might end up happier to get away from this city, and to get away from all things DYAD for a while. Just...promise me you'll at least think it over and decide for yourself if you really, truly want to end it here or not. That's one good thing DYAD did for us. They let us keep the ability to decide for ourselves what we want.”

Danielle gave another dry laugh. “I do not feel as zough I've ever had zat ability, to be 'onest.”

“You have, and you still do. Whatever happens next is entirely in your hands. Not mine, not your boyfriend's, not your parents', and _definitely_ not DYAD's. _Yours_. Think it over and decide how you want this to end, because once you choose to end it through drastic measures, that's it,” Rat told her bluntly.

“'Ow do _you_ cope wiz everyzing?” the French clone asked, sounding genuinely curious.

Rat paused as she considered the question for a moment, before shrugging. “Sometimes I don't. As much as I hate to admit it, sometimes even _I_ need the support of the others to make it through whatever dark and depressing crap we're faced with. Overall, though...I just try to keep believing that what we're doing is worth it. That one day, everything will pay off, and clones everywhere can live free lives. Might sound daft, but that's really what keeps me going when I feel like giving up.”

“I see...merci Rat...you are a good friend,” Danielle murmured quietly. “Sorry again for waking you.”

“Don't worry about it,” Rat said gently, and she meant it. She wouldn't mind being woken up every night if it meant helping another clone to not go through with whatever dark plots the French woman had in mind before she'd made the choice to call her.

She only hoped her words had been enough.


	29. Chapter 28

Three days passed with no more contact from Danielle. Rat told the others about the call, and everybody was on edge and wanted to be there for their sister. No one could reach out to her effectively, though. They were becoming more and more worried, but they knew there was no way to find out what was going on without risking exposing themselves to the press.

It seemed the clones didn't have to do much to find out what became of the skater, though. Early one morning, Katja walked out of her room. She was the first one up, having struggled to sleep most of the night anyway due to a number of coughing fits. She shuffled into the living room and booted up her laptop after tending to the dogs, and also switched on the television.

Danielle's face greeted her from the screen instantly. Katja couldn't understand to start with, since the news reporters were talking in French, but she assumed they were still discussing the disgraceful ice skating tournament and the confusing events surrounding it. Katja barely paid attention, instead focusing on her laptop and signing into Skype.

“Hallo crazy pan lady,” she greeted Leigh, who was next to emerge that morning.

“Eh?” Leigh shot at her with a frown.

Katja shook her head dismissively. “Nozing.”

“Right,” Leigh said darkly. She boiled the kettle to make herself a cup of tea. “You feeling OK? I heard you last night.”

“Sorry,” Katja muttered.

“No, don't be sorry,” Leigh told her sternly.

Katja watched her for a moment or two before looking back at the laptop. “I am doing better now. I vould like to see Aila today.”

Leigh gave a brief nod and proceeded to make tea. She joined Katja at the table and watched the television curiously. “What the hell?” she whispered after a short while.

“Vat?” Katja asked, glancing over to the television.

The news media were now interviewing Kyle, who seemed to be avoiding them. He was very clearly upset though, trying to hold himself together as he reluctantly spoke to whoever was taking the interview.

Katja blinked, glancing at Leigh. When the news broadcast switched back to people sitting in a studio, everybody looked mournful as they spoke.

“I'm gonna go get Rat up. We need to know what the hell they're going on about,” Leigh said, panicked. She stood to make her way towards the hacker's bedroom. The door opened before she could reach it though. Rat blinked as she saw Leigh standing there. She still looked half asleep, but she raised an eyebrow.

“What?”

“We need you to come out here and translate the news for us. Something might have happened to Danielle,” Leigh said, hoping that whatever it was, they were wrong and just misinterpreting the situation.

Rat stared at her for a moment, but sighed and nodded as she followed the hairdresser out into the living room. She stretched and flopped down on the sofa after grabbing a glass of water and greeting Katja. The hacker still looked tired, but focused her attention on what the news broadcaster was saying.

It only took reading the bulletins on the side to wake her up fully, her breath audibly hitching in her throat as she covered her mouth with a hand. The hacker looked horrified as she listened to what was being said.

“Oh God, no...” Rat whispered, paling even more.

“What happened?” Leigh asked quietly, almost afraid to find out.

Rat bit her lip hard, closing her eyes tightly. “Danielle's _missing_...and they...t-they have reason to suspect she...she _might_ have actually committed suicide...” she said quietly, a rogue tear making its way down her face. “They found a note and her blood in her room, and nobody can find her. DAMNIT, I told her to come with us! Why the hell would she go and...and-”

Even the dogs were still and silent as Danielle's face flashed up again, and Rat, Katja and Leigh watched numbly as they stared. They knew that lack of proof _could_ mean that she was alive, but the phone call Rat had handled left no clone feeling optimistic. All three of them were quiet for the rest of the day, each of them tired and grief-stricken by what had happened.

They weren't the only ones.

A few miles away, in the hospital, Aila watched the television in her room. She'd been staring at the clips of Danielle for the better part of an hour, and it didn't take much for the doctor to understand something wasn't right. Danielle was gone...she could feel it in her gut. She sighed, feeling guilty now for not accepting the French clone's apology.

But Aila was still here, and it occurred to her this latest story would confuse the hospital staff. Danielle couldn't be missing and be lying in bed with a broken arm at the same time. How was Aila going to explain this? The police were bound to be dragged into it. Aila would face consequences, surely. And she was _still_ wanted for murder...

Aila jumped when a figure caught her eye. She looked around. A broad man dressed in a smart suit was standing by the door to her room; his unnerving stare fixed on her. He offered a cold smirk when Aila noticed him.

“Who the flamin' hell are _you?!_ ” Aila asked in a high voice. She worried briefly if this was the start of the truth coming out about her impersonating the famous skater.

“Daniel Rosen,” the man introduced himself. Aila couldn't help flinching back a bit when Daniel approached the bed, his presence somehow threatening as he loomed over her. “I'm afraid we need to go on a little trip...”

\--

The following morning, Leigh and Rat returned to the hospital while Katja stayed behind to watch the dogs. She was frustrated that she hadn't gotten to see Aila yet, but was determined to do so as soon as she was feeling better again.

Leigh sighed when she heard people whispering around them, not bringing herself to care as she caught Danielle's name. How could the famous skater have gone missing and maybe died, but yet be in the hospital, but yet be stood here? She knew nobody would have been able to make sense of it.

Leigh couldn't help feeling a strange mix of anger and sadness towards Danielle again for causing Aila to be hurt in the first place, though the French clone didn't deserve what happened to her.

The skater had injured herself because she'd been high again without the rest of them realising it at first, and then they'd wanted her gone. Why didn't they realise that perhaps Danielle coming to them like that was a cry for help? It wasn't right, and it weighed heavily on everybody's hearts.

“Let's get to the room quickly,” Rat muttered, sounding exhausted as well. “Everyone's noticing we look like Danielle.”

“Figured as much,” Leigh muttered, sprinting over to the elevator to get up to the third floor of the building.

The walk to the room was made largely in silence, though once they arrived, it became obvious that something was very wrong. The room was empty, and looked ready for its next patient.

“The fuck?” Leigh asked, looking around.

Rat was confused as well. She stared around the hallway. She noticed a nurse nearby and went over to ask where Aila was. Leigh stayed in the room and walked around, seeing none of Aila's things there either. Something caught her eye as she approached the bed area though – a small object on the floor beside the bed.

Raising an eyebrow, the hairdresser knelt down to see what it was. She found herself staring at an old photograph showing two young clones laughing together. Her blood turned to ice as she recognised the picture. Her hand trembled slightly as she stared at it.

She didn't notice when Rat returned to the room and started talking quickly. The hacker paused when she realised Leigh wasn't listening at all, narrowing her eyes slightly in annoyance. Her expression softened slightly when she saw the look of shock and horror on Leigh's face.

“What's that?” she asked, seeing the photograph in Leigh's hand.

Leigh trembled uncontrollably. “ _Rachel's got Aila._ ”

“Sorry, _what?_ ” Rat asked, frowning.

Leigh clearly wasn't thinking straight. She couldn't find the words to explain herself, instead thrusting the photograph before her so Rat could look at it. It shook violently in Leigh's trembling hands. Rat didn't understand what she was looking at to start with. Leigh wasn't making any sense.

“The nurse said a guy in a suit checked Aila out yesterday,” Rat whispered. Terror set into her along with the realisation of what had happened as she spoke her own words. Leigh obviously knew it as well.

“Rachel _knows,_ ” Leigh hissed. “She _knows._ ”

Rat understood instantly. The photo was of Leigh and Rachel in their younger years, _together_. Clearly, Rachel hadn't taken the revelation lightly...the empty bed where Aila had been proved that.

Rat shakily took the photograph from Leigh to inspect it. “How could DYAD know Aila was here?” the hacker asked fearfully, though she supposed it made sense if DYAD had been paying attention to the ice skating tournament...there was every chance they'd put two and two together after Aila's performance...

Something caught Rat's attention on the back of the photo as she flipped it over. She quickly showed Leigh, who hadn't seen the writing on there until now.

' _Bring her home, or yours suffers._ '

It was Rachel's handwriting, unmistakably. It only confirmed Leigh's worst fears, and Rat's too. The hacker looked strangely disturbed at Leigh's increasing rage bubbling within her, threatening to break loose any second now.

Rachel wouldn't actually _hurt_ Aila, would she? _Would she?_ Leigh knew Rachel better than that. Rachel wasn't _that_ sick. DYAD must be making her do this. They _must_ be.

Something in Leigh's gut made her run from the room, though she had no clue where she was going or what she was going to do. She was unaware of Rat chasing after her, the photograph still clutched in her hand as she attempted to catch up to Leigh.

\--

After chasing Leigh halfway around the hospital, Rat managed to calm her down enough to drag her out of the building. Leigh continued to shake with rage, staring down at the photograph as she did.

Rat remained silent as she led Leigh back home. Really, this wasn't surprising. DYAD would have heard there was a woman who looked like Danielle in the hospital while the real Danielle was missing and suspected to be dead. They would have wanted to look into it. The hacker grumbled and inwardly kicked herself for allowing Aila to stay at the hospital alone at night. She should have insisted that someone stay with her.

When the two got back to the house, they quickly located Katja and filled her in on what had happened, showing her the photograph and the threat that had been left.

The German woman cursed under her breath. “Vee must get her back before zey hurt her, ja?”

Leigh started pacing back and forth quickly. “Rachel wouldn't actually _hurt_ Aila, I don't think. DYAD's gotta be _making_ her-”

“ _Again_ with that?” Rat hissed venomously before she could stop herself. “When will you wake UP and realise Rachel's more than capable of hurting someone to get what she wants?! Why else would she have had Aila kidnapped in the first place?”

“I don't know!” Leigh snapped back. “Because she wants us to THINK she would to make us go to London! They've probably just got Aila sitting in a room somewhere!”

Rat glared at Leigh. “Why won't you _see_ that-”

“ _ENOUGH!_ ”

The loud command was enough to silence the two bickering clones as they both looked at Katja with wide eyes, who was glaring back at them both.

“Now ez not zee time to be fighting over nozing,” the Germa said firmly. “Vee must find out vere doctor ez being held and come up vith a plan, yes? Save your fighting for a better time. Vee must be acting fast. DYAD...I do not trust zem not to hurt Aila somehow. Even if Rachel herself does not, ozers might. Is zis not correct, Rat?”

Rat sighed heavily. “Yeah,” she muttered, reaching for her laptop as she sat down at the kitchen table. She rubbed her head slightly as the system booted up. She refused to look at Leigh.

Katja's expression softened slightly. “Vee must ALL vork together to get doctor back. Do not forget zis. She needs all of us now.”

“Well she just wants _me,_ right? Rachel, I mean,” Leigh squeaked, brandishing the photograph absently.

Rat shot her a venomous glare. “And _what_ exactly will it accomplish if you give into her?”

It was Katja's turn to leer this time. Her fierce stare caught Rat's attention as if to say 'what did I _just_ say?', and Rat fell quiet. Her typing, however, became louder and angrier.

“Leigh, they may not let Aila go, even if you go back to Rachel,” Katja spoke calmly. “Rachel might have helped us before, but it ez clear Leekie ez on another level. He wanted _all_ of us, ja? Aila's arrival zere von't go unnoticed by him. _If_ you go back to Rachel, vee need to find a vay of doing it vile sneaking Aila _out,_ otherwise they vill have you _both._ ”

“And why should we give _Leigh_ back up to DYAD?!” Rat exclaimed, unable to help herself despite Katja's warnings to stop arguing. Leigh glanced at Rat. If the situation wasn't so dire, she might have made a snide comment about Rat _caring_ so much, but it wasn't appropriate. “We get Aila out, and we run as fast as we can in the opposite direction! There _is_ no other option!” the hacker continued on.

Leigh sighed. She was unable to resist tugging at her own hair as she tried to think of a solution. Katja approached her sister, putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder as she worked on the laptop.

“Not necessarily give her up to DYAD,” Katja said gently. “Just to Rachel.”

“Is there much _difference?_ ” Rat hissed. She wasn't sure she believed what she was hearing.

Katja's eyes found Leigh's then. They stared at one another for a moment or two while Rat waited for some kind of explanation. “I believe Leigh can get through to her,” Katja stated.

Rat shook with fury. “Katja, what are you _ON?_ I'm sorry, but I _don't_ agree. I _insist_ we find another alternative that _doesn't_ involve handing Leigh back over to _them._ ”

Neither Katja nor Leigh said anything. They watched each other again while Rat continued muttering to herself. Leigh was torn. She understood Rat's concerns completely, but Katja was right too. Rachel probably only wanted Leigh to discuss what she'd recently discovered about them. Maybe Leigh _could_ use that to pull her sister from DYAD's clutches once and for all.

Then again, the entire thing could be a trap set by Leekie himself. If that was the case, Leigh had no clue how Aila was getting out.

\--

Aila sat as still as a statue as she waited for somebody to appear. It was impossible to tell how much time had passed since she'd woken up in the room, though it couldn't have been more than an hour.

The room was dark, with a stone floor. The only item in the room was a small bed, and the only light came from a small window too high up for her to reach or see out of. Her left arm throbbed in its sling, and though the pulsing pain made her feel sick and dizzy, she tried to ignore it as best she could.

Finally, the sound of a door opening caught her attention, and she lifted her head to see somebody walk into the room. Aila narrowed her eyes slightly, waiting to see who it was and what they wanted. She was expecting the creepy man, Daniel, who had taken her from the hospital, though her eyebrows shot up in shock as the face of a very familiar clone appeared before her.

“R-Rachel?!” Aila gasped, before her glare returned, somehow more intense than before. “The friggin' hell are _you_ doing here?! Where the hell am I?!” she demanded.

Somehow the way Rachel simply stared down at her told the doctor that Rachel was not here to help her in any way. The blonde clone's face stayed blank and unimpressed.

“You are at the DYAD institute,” Rachel informed her. Her voice was colder than Aila remembered it, if that was even possible...and the words she spoke caused Aila to freeze in panic. She shrank back slightly when Rachel approached, her high heels clicking dangerously on the floor. As she moved, the light from the window illuminated her features, allowing Aila to see the glazed over, but _fierce_ look in her eyes that had never been there before.

“I don't understand...” Aila whispered as Rachel loomed over her.

“It is not your _place_ to understand,” Rachel responded. “All I ask is that you co-operate.”

“Co-operate?”

“You will stay here until you do.”

Aila frowned deeply. Was she dreaming? Was this a bad dream? Something wasn't adding up...and Rachel was being extremely vague. Surely Aila deserved a better explanation than this.

“Rachel, I don't get it,” Aila spoke lowly, eager to keep on the blonde clone's good side until she fully understood the situation. “You helped us, remember? The last time we saw you...you helped us get away...”

Rachel became doll-like. She didn't move an inch for a good ten or more seconds, apparently not even breathing. Aila thought she could be mistaken for a mannequin quite easily.

“A very serious _error_ on my part,” Rachel growled then. The sudden change in her voice was alarming. Aila felt tense...Rachel fixed her gaze on the doctor properly now. “You are going to help me correct that.”

Aila stared up at the other clone, not knowing exactly what Rachel wanted her to do about it. What happened back in Geneva was Rachel's own choice, wasn't it?

“Tell me where Leigh is,” Rachel said lowly, her voice barely on the edge of threatening.

Aila stared at Rachel, swallowing hard. Had the other woman received Rat's email? Did she know she and Leigh were sisters? Was that why she wanted Leigh? Or did she want to drag the rest of them back on DYAD's orders?

Aila steeled herself, and then shook her head. “I can't do that, Rachel.”

Rachel became motionless again, staring down at the doctor. Aila couldn't decipher the look on Rachel's face, though from what Leigh had said before, she knew Rachel didn't take kindly to her orders being defied. Still though, the doctor refused to grass up her friends to DYAD.

Rachel suddenly turned on her heel and paused just before reaching the door. She glanced back at Aila. “It would be in your best interest to rethink keeping her from me,” she said explained. Then, Rachel opened the door and spoke to someone outside. “No food or water. Two days. I'll return to speak with her again then.”

\--

Despite the risks, Leigh, Rat, and Katja decided they had no choice but to fly to London the next morning. They had no reason to stay in France now Danielle was assumed to be dead. Even without a body as proof, they couldn't wait around.

The three managed to find a small apartment to stay in for the time being. The following day was spent throwing ideas around to figure out a plan to somehow get into DYAD without getting everybody captured.

Leigh became more and more reclusive as the day passed on, and as evening set in, the hairdresser again stared out the window. It felt bizarre to be back in this city. Her home. Where everything had started. It was as if her entire journey had gone full circle.

A short while later, Rat received an incoming call from Beth. The hacker groaned, expecting the detective to start yelling at them over samples again, though when she answered the call, it was obvious Beth was very distressed. She was shaking and looking around with wide eyes. Before Rat could ask what happened, the detective blurted out a statement that stunned everybody.

“Holy fucking shit. _I killed Maggie Chen._ ”

Screeching silence fell between the clones as they kept their eyes on Beth. Katja and Leigh had been nearby when Rat received the call, and they found themselves wandering over in horror at Beth's words.

That didn't make sense though. How could silence be so _loud?_

“W-what?” Rat's voice cut into the silence at last.

Beth's next actions shocked everyone even more. She was pale, and visibly trembling, but none of them expected her to screw her face up in defeat, throw her head into her hands, and let out an exhausted, painful sob.

Rat, Katja and Leigh looked around at each other helplessly. It was _horrible_ not being with Beth in person to offer some kind of comfort.

“Beth? Beth?” Leigh spoke in a high voice. “Listen – tell us what happened-”

“She was – I had to _protect us,_ ” Beth managed, her voice muffled behind her hands.

Rat willed herself to pull the laptop closer to her, deciding she would have to be the one to take control and get the truth out of the distraught detective. “Maggie was over there _after you?_ ” the hacker asked.

“Yes!” Beth sobbed. “I saw her following me around a few weeks ago...I-I thought she was just some weird stalker, so I started looking into her...I...w-when I saw her name, I remembered what you guys told me...I don't know, I-I just panicked!”

Rat frowned. “What's going to happen to you now?” she asked quietly. Even though Beth was a cop, she had _murdered_ someone, and while the hacker didn't know Canada's laws on the subject, she knew there was a good chance Beth was in very deep trouble over this.

Beth buried her head in her hands, shaking her head as she continued sobbing. “M-My partner...h-he helped me cover it up...m-made it look like an accidental shooting, but...I-I...I've been suspended while the incident's being investigated...”

The room fell deathly silent as the detective continued to cry. No one was sure what they could say or do for her. They wished their clone sister wasn't so far away.

After several moments, Beth sighed and wiped her eyes, resting her head on her arms. She looked broken and defeated. “You said you got Danielle's samples...when are you lot gonna be coming over here?” she questioned.

Rat hesitated and glanced at Leigh and Katja, knowing now wasn't the right time to tell Beth that Aila had been captured by DYAD. “We...err...something's come up that needs sorting, but hopefully we'll make it over there soon. We'll keep you updated, OK?” she said gently.

From her home in Canada, Beth could only nod at the hacker's words. Had it been foolish to alert her clone sisters to what she had done? How had she been expecting them to help her get through this? She still wanted to tell them to hurry up; that she was sick of this, sick of everything, but if they were in the habit of _listening_ to her, this would all be over by now anyway. Maybe she wouldn't have been forced to take such drastic measures.

Beth ended the call, stood from her chair, and made her way to the medication cabinet.

\--

Aila hadn't eaten in two days.

She hadn't taken Rachel's warning seriously to start with. It was only a matter of waiting until the blonde clone realised this was ridiculous and helped Aila understand the truth behind all of this. Aila could _help_ Rachel if she'd only put an end to this.

And yet, two days later, Aila was still imprisoned in the dark room with hunger pains growing more intense by the minute. Her throat felt dry. She needed to drink something...

Aila was frustrated. She needed to understand _why,_ and being left alone in an isolated room was causing panic. Not that she'd let that show...

“Rachel,” Aila whispered when the proclone showed herself again. Aila sat up straight to watch her approach. “Just tell me _why_.”

“Why?” Rachel repeated, her voice flat and emotionless. “You know why. Until you co-operate, this will be your punishment.”

“Rachel, please,” Aila said, her voice hoarse and dry. “Letting me die _really_ isn't going to win favour with Leigh, I hope you realise...”

Rachel's lips twitched briefly, the only hint of emotion on her face. “Die? Spare me the drama. You still have at least a few more days before the dehydration becomes so severe, and several weeks until the hunger does. You disappoint me. I would have expected a _doctor_ to have known such basic facts,” she said snidely.

Aila looked at Rachel desperately. “Even if I told you where Leigh _was_ , do you think she'll still be there _now?_ ” she said, trying to reason with the blonde.

Rachel stared at Aila as she considered this fair point. After several minutes, she turned and walked from the room again. Aila sighed, easing herself down to lie on the bed. Her arm felt like it was on fire. The pain of it combined with the stabbing in her stomach, and burning dryness in her throat made for a very sick and dizzy clone.

Rachel was right. She wouldn't die of thirst just yet, but she really didn't want to find out how far Rachel would let her go before either killing her or bringing her back to health. After what could have been a few minutes or a few hours, Rachel reappeared and tossed something on the bed. Aila eyed the device warily, seeing it was a phone.

“Call Leigh,” Rachel ordered. “Do so, and I will allow you to eat and drink again.”

For a brief moment, Aila almost consented to be relieved of pain, but she immediately felt guilty for thinking that. She would _not_ betray Leigh, no matter what. Picking up the phone shakily, the doctor stared at it for a moment and threw it hard against the wall. It shattered into a pile of glass and plastic.

Rachel froze. This made no sense to her. This had never happened before.

“Nobody _defies me,_ ” she told Aila in a deadly voice.

“ _I_ just did,” Aila responded instantly, angry at Rachel's behaviour and messed up way of thinking. Just who did Rachel think she was?

“I _want_ my _sister_ , Aila,” Rachel snapped now. She was beginning to lose her cool. She looked...disturbed...but her confession only confirmed Aila's suspicions. “You will _not_ deny me of her.”

A sick feeling settled in Aila's gut as Rachel's words sunk in. The doctor managed to stand up wearily. She was going to show Rachel she wouldn't be pushed around so easily. “Nobody ever _did_ deny you,” she tried to reason with the unstable clone, though she knew it wasn't necessarily true. DYAD had caused this, but Rachel wasn't going to understand that. “Leigh always wanted you with her. She missed you like crazy. She wanted you with her the entire time we were travelling, and you told her no, didn't you? You told her not to contact you again.”

Rachel shook with fury. She wasn't going to stand for this woman implying it was _her fault_ all of this had happened. Without a word, Rachel turned on her heel and stormed from the room. She would make this woman pay for daring to defy her.

She was _Rachel Duncan_ , and _nobody_ denied her anything she wanted. One way or another, she would make Aila understand that.

\--

The following few days were restless. Everyone was worried about Beth, and they still didn't have a plan for how they were going to rescue Aila. It was concerning to know Maggie had been in Canada. The last time they saw her was when they were in Appenzell. If Maggie had made it to Canada, did Helena already know about Beth? Was the detective next?

“Someone should go there and make sure Beth's OK,” Leigh suggested one morning, and she couldn't help but glance at Katja as she said this. She still wanted the German to go there anyway to see Beth's scientist friend.

Katja met her gaze evenly, looking tired and unimpressed. “Vee vill not split up. Vee save doctor, zen go to Canada. Beth is cop. She knows zee dangers...she vill be fine, I am sure.”

Rat sat off to the side on the sofa, somehow balancing both the laptop and Charles on her lap. The old dog seemed content to relax and be used as a table, probably enjoying the warmth of the machine on his back.

The hacker had spent the morning researching the DYAD facility in London, looking for any weaknesses that they could possibly exploit. Combined with her own knowledge of the facility, she wasn't getting too far. Rat sighed and leaned back, rubbing her eyes tiredly. She knew if this wasn't done right, it would end badly for them all.

“Vat if vee blackmail someone? There must be at least a few unhappy employees that vee could try talking into helping us?” Katja offered as she got up from the table to sit on the sofa beside her sister.

“Worth a shot, I suppose,” Rat muttered in agreement. She pulled up a list of current employees that were stationed at the facility regularly.

Scanning through the names, Katja's eyebrows suddenly shot up in stunned shock. “Vait, stop! Scroll back up!”

“ _What?!_ ” Rat snapped, though she started slowly scrolling back up through the names.

“There, stop!” Katja said, pointing to the screen.

When Rat saw exactly what her sister was so frantic over, her eyes grew wide in surprise. “No _way_...”

“What? What is it this time?” Leigh snapped in panic. She was utterly fed up of shocking news hitting them with no time to let it sink in before something else presented itself.

Katja simply beckoned Leigh over and encouraged Rat to turn the laptop so the hairdresser could see. The face of a very familiar man was displayed on the screen, along with the DYAD logo and paragraphs of information.

“Lucas?!” Leigh gasped.

The three of them were quiet for a bit. Rat frowned, pulling the laptop back to read through his file in detail to try and understand what had happened to him.

“Yeah...he's still _alive,_ ” she told the others eventually. Rat felt Katja's body stiffen up beside her.

“ _How?_ ” Katja whispered.

“I don't know,” Rat said quickly, shaking her head in disbelief. “I don't know; maybe he didn't get shot; maybe he outran Maggie – or maybe she _thought_ she killed him and then just left him – I don't _know-_ ”

“He's here in London,” Leigh spoke over Rat. She had climbed across Katja's lap in a desperate bid to see what was on the screen, and saw the German man was back under Leekie's observation. “So what's his angle? Is he gonna turn against us now too?!”

“Hell knows,” Katja grumbled. She shoved Leigh off of her, stood up, and held back a violent cough. She wanted to see Lucas badly to clear up this enormous mess of confusion. She was tired of being unsure of who to trust.

Rat slammed the laptop shut so violently it caused Charles to jump up in alarm. He eyed his mistress curiously, who paid no attention to the dog in her angry state. “Lucas _owes_ us,” she told the other clones defiantly. “If he's still alive, _he's going to help us._ ”

Rat passed the laptop to Katja then, and gently moved Charles off of her lap so she could stand up and leave the room. Really, she just needed a bit of space to gather her thoughts and decide what to do next, but it left Leigh wondering what on earth the hacker meant when she said Lucas owed them.

He'd saved their lives...wasn't that enough?

\--

Later that night, Rat's Skype icon flashed orange. She stared at it for a moment, before clicking on it. Instead of a message, the program told her she had a new contact request. The hacker raised an eyebrow at the foreign name.

“Adalyn Blanchard?” she muttered to herself. “Who the friggin' hell is _that?_ ” She went to block the request, but froze when she noticed a message had been left by the person as well.

_'Rat, call me when you can. -D.'_

The hacker raised an eyebrow. Her Skype didn't have her nickname on it, but rather a fake name that meant nothing and wasn't tied to anything cloney. Whoever this was, they knew exactly who _she_ was, and while it was probably stupid to accept the request, she couldn't help giving into curiosity.

Almost as soon as the contact was added to her list, a video request came in. The hacker bit her lip, but proceeded to answer it. She could only stare in stunned shock at the sight that greeted her.

On the screen was the unmistakable face of a clone. Her dark hair was short, just barely reaching her shoulders, though it was styled in ringlets and was streaked with green and blue hues. She wore stylish glasses, which further made her stand out from an average clone.

“Bonjour! Sorry for ignoring calls and zings. It was not safe...and I got rid of phone anyway,” she said with a soft French accent.

“D-Danielle?!” Rat gasped loudly, covering her mouth in shock.

Danielle giggled a bit. “Oui! Are you still in Paris?”

Rat couldn't bring herself to respond at first as surprise bled into relief, and even a touch of anger. “We thought you were _DEAD!_ ” she blurted out before she could stop herself.

“Sorry,” Danielle frowned. “It was zee only way. I left a note to be found so zey would not follow me, but it was too unsafe to contact you all. I fled zee country and am now in zee city of Geneva, Switzerland. Not sure if you know it, but it is 'uge and speaks French. I guessed no one will look for me 'ere...I am going to lie low for some time and try to meet up with you all later on when everyzing calms down...i-if zee offer is still zere...”

Leigh and Katja walked into the room then, both looking confused at Rat talking to someone. They didn't think Beth would want to call back so soon.

Rat glanced up at them. “Danielle's alive!”

Leigh rushed to the laptop, almost knocking Rat over in her haste to see the French clone. “Well thank FUCK for that!”

Danielle wavered, apparently surprised to see the others so relieved. “I am sorry for everyzing,” she explained quietly.

“Vat of your boyfriend? Kyle?” Katja questioned.

Danielle's eyes turned dark behind her new glasses. “It is over. You must say nozing to him.”

Leigh stifled a sigh. Kyle was clearly upset over this, and she felt as though he deserved to know Danielle was alive, at least...then again, it wasn't Leigh's place to decide that...

“We're not in Paris anymore anyway, so don't worry,” she forced herself to say. “I'm glad you got in touch.”

“Are you?” Danielle challenged her.

Leigh nodded. “Of course I am. We all are. We never wanted to see you _dead,_ Danielle. That's the whole reason we're out here doing what we're doing. It's the reason we came to find you in the first place.”

Danielle took a moment to respond. She seemed touched by Leigh's words. “I never zanked you all for zat. I will always be grateful, and to have zee chance to break away from...from zee past. So zank you.”

The clones nodded in acknowledgement, all of them silently understanding each other. Rat shifted in her seat after a moment. “The killer, Helena, could be anywhere, but you should be safe if you keep hidden,” she explained slowly.

“Yes,” Danielle agreed. “Listen...about Aila...I really am _so_ very sorry. Please make sure she knows zis.”

Leigh felt her fists clench of their own accord. She didn't want to worry Danielle, or cause more feelings of guilt for her, so she nodded in determination. “We will,” she assured the French clone. “But listen. There's something we have to do first, but then we'll be heading for Canada. You make sure you keep in touch, OK? We'll let you know when to go over there to meet us.”


	30. Chapter 29

As far as anyone could tell, Lucas lived alone a few blocks away from the DYAD facility. He was under constant observation both inside his home and inside his work, mostly through video monitoring.

After some careful work the following day, Rat had managed to make the video feed at Lucas' house enter into a loop and display clips from the day before rather than streaming live footage.

The clones waited until night fell before to venture out onto the streets, carefully making their way towards the German man's house. It was nearly eight, and fully black outside when they arrived outside the front door. Katja didn't hesitate in the slightest and knocked loudly.

“What if he's not alone?” Leigh asked, looking around uncertainly.

“Then vee deal vith it,” Katja grunted as she coughed into a tissue.

After another few loud knocks, the door slowly opened and a familiar face appeared. Lucas stared at the clones in shock for a moment before gasping loudly. “You are alive! Zank goodness! B-but you cannot be here, it's not safe! Zey are _vatching_ me, zey vill have _seen_ -”

“It's taken care of. Shut up babbling, for Christ's sake,” Rat snapped, silencing the man's frantic words. “Now shift. We have things to discuss with you.”

Leigh frowned and couldn't help glaring at Rat slightly. She didn't like how aggressive the hacker was being after Lucas saved their lives, but she held her tongue and followed the others inside.

The clones made their way to the living room, and when Lucas joined them, he found three pairs of identical eyes watching him.

“How ez it you're alive?” Katja asked him bluntly.

Lucas looked tired. He let out a weary sigh and sat down, a grave expression on his face. “Maggie...she had to be stopped,” he began explaining. He kept his gaze on Katja, never once blinking or breaking eye contact. He needed Katja to trust and believe in him. “Ven you all ran, vee struggled, she and I.”

“Vee heard shots fired,” Katja told him.

Lucas nodded. “Ja.” He slowly and reluctantly pulled down the collar of his shirt to reveal a scarred wound on his right shoulder. Katja thought he was lucky to have survived even that. “But it seemed I did more damage to she zan she did to me.”

“What did you do?” Leigh asked.

“There vas a struggle. Being a man, I am stronger than she is, physically. I vas able to get hold of zee gun and _stop_ her. She had head injury. I do not know how serious. All I knew vas to _run_ vile she vas out cold. I have not seen or heard from her since.”

“So you went back to DYAD?” Leigh asked.

“Ja. I vas still vorking for DYAD anyvay, and I vas injured. I vould sooner go back to them zan zee Proletheans. I needed help, you understand?”

“Ja,” Katja whispered. She lowered her gaze to the ground to let this sink in. A strange mix of relief and regret hit her at Lucas being alive...she didn't like this latest revelation messing with her head again after she'd accepted he was gone. She also resented the fact he had gotten hurt while trying to help her and her clone sisters.

Rat squirmed uncomfortably. “Maggie Chen is dead,” she told Lucas. Lucas snapped his head up to stare at the hacker in shock. “She was killed recently.”

“She is _dead?_ ” Lucas repeated. “How...”

“It doesn't really matter. It's not your concern,” Rat grumbled. She at least felt as though Lucas deserved to know what had become of the deluded woman though, after he had helped them. “That's not what we're here for.”

“Zen _vhy_ are you here? You are treading in _very_ dangerous territory by coming here.”

“We wouldn't _be_ here if it wasn't absolutely essential,” Rat told him. “DYAD have Aila. They have her in the facility here in London.”

Lucas looked between the three of them, as if only just realising there was a clone missing from the group. Rat wasn't sure she trusted the confused look on his face. What if he _knew_ about Rachel having Aila kidnapped? What if he was playing dumb to trick them; to lure them into a trap-

No. Rat shook her head to snap herself out of it. This paranoia wasn't going to help, and her determination to seek out Lucas had brought her here in the first place. Besides, Lucas had been so _desperate_ to prove himself to Katja the first time he showed up. Why should his efforts to help them all stop with aiding their escape from Maggie?

“If you care about us, you'll help us get Aila out of there,” Rat said.

Lucas nodded, though he looked troubled. “I do not know how I can be of help...my job is only low-key. I am not permitted to go into restricted areas, vich I'm sure is vere your friend vill be. Plus...I do not know if it is vise for me to go against zem so soon. Zey are _alvays_ vatching me. It vould not take much to know that I am straying from my vork.”

Leigh sighed, rubbing her head. “So we need to find someone else to help us then. Someone higher up?”

“Ja. I vill think on it and see if I know anyone who may vish to aid you in secret,” Lucas offered, standing. “In the meantime, vould anyone like something to drink?”

Leigh and Katja asked for tea and coffee respectfully. Rat denied the offer and watched as the older man vanished into the kitchen. She couldn't help feeling uneasy about him still, even if logically she knew he probably really did want to help them.

When Lucas returned, he seemed to be in a much better spirit as he handed out drinks. “I may know of someone who may agree to help...a very old friend of mine. I vill speak vith her tomorrow. How may I contact you to tell you vat happens?”

“Hold up. Just who is this friend? Is she trustworthy?” Rat demanded, sounding harsher than she meant to.

Lucas nodded firmly. “Her name is Elizabeth, and yes, she is extremely trustvorzy. It's not my place to say too much, but she has a _very_ strong reason to vant to go against DYAD. I believe she vill be villing to help, and she has access to some of zee more restricted areas of zee facility.”

Rat glanced over at Leigh and Katja uncertainly. Katja stared at Lucas. “I vill choose to trust zat you know vat it is you are doing vith zis Elizabeth. Ven you speak vith her, call me, and vee can arrange a meeting,” she said, standing. The German clone found a piece of paper and a pen and wrote down her phone number for Lucas.

“Danke,” Lucas said quietly. This was a chance to prove again he could be trusted.

\--

Rachel wasn't happy. As she stood in the dark cell eyeing the limp form on the bed, she couldn't help but scowl in frustration. This wasn't working, and if she deprived Aila of water for much longer, she really _would_ die.

Rachel didn't mind taking drastic measures occasionally, but she was smart enough to realise this clone was important to Leigh, for some unknown reason. Killing her would undoubtedly ruin Rachel's chance to get Leigh back forever.

This was a problem.

Rachel hated to admit it, but she didn't know how to handle somebody who insisted on being endlessly defiant. Even Leigh always gave into her demands sooner or later. Rachel always got what she wanted, but Aila was proving to be extremely difficult to break.

Rachel grit her teeth hard. Aila had won this round. Rachel would _have_ to give her water to keep her alive long enough to get Leigh back. And Rachel _hated_ it. She did not take kindly to being beaten at this.

She _would_ make the other clone bend to her will one way or another.

Rachel disappeared from the room for a moment, leaving Aila temporarily alone. Aila wasn't holding up too well. Being unable to move her arm was uncomfortable and inconvenient, and trying to sit up straight made her dizzy and weak. It was for this reason she opted to lie down most of the time instead, shaking sometimes uncontrollably. She hated Rachel being there though, looking taller and superior in her flawless outfit with her flawless make-up and impossibly inhumane determination.

It surprised her when Rachel returned holding a glass of water.

“Get up,” she spat at Aila in disgust. She slammed the glass down on the hard bed on which Aila lay, and some of it spilled over the top and onto the floor.

Reluctantly, Aila pushed herself up with her good arm with what little strength she had. She looked curiously at the glass of water, but didn't want to touch it. What if it wasn't water; what if it wasn't safe; what if-

Aila ceased her maddening thoughts immediately, and laughed. She was becoming paranoid. She was becoming like Leigh and Rat.

Rachel was not impressed at Aila laughing at the situation. “I fail to see what is so funny,” she seethed.

Aila shakily reached out for the glass and took a grateful sip. She glanced up at Rachel as the cool liquid soothed her. Water had never tasted so good. “You would if you had a mirror in front of you.”

It was true; Rachel's humiliation and annoyance at her defeat was clear on her face, however hard she tried to hide it. Her eyes flashed dangerously at Aila's comment. _This was so unfair._

“Call Leigh,” she told Aila sternly. She watched impatiently as Aila drank. The doctor only stopped when half of the water was gone. She paused for a break to watch Rachel carefully.

“Rachel, if you want her back because you found out you're sisters, I don't understand why you're going about it like this. You could have just joined us instead.”

“ _That_ is never going to happen,” Rachel shot venomously. It angered her the other clones had known about this before _she_ did. That Leigh hadn't told her right away.

Aila couldn't help pitying the blonde clone, despite what she was putting the doctor through. Leigh was right. DYAD had warped her...

“You are running out of _time,_ ” Rachel continued. Danger was clear in her tone. “You _will_ do as I ask. It is _urgent_ that Leigh returns _immediately_ for reasons that are _not your concern-_ ”

“Rachel, what do you want me to _do?_ ” Aila challenged her now, sounding annoyed herself. “Pull Leigh out of thin air?”

It was a step too far. Aila brought the glass back up to her lips to finish drinking, but her comment angered Rachel so much that she stepped forward and smacked the glass out of Aila's hand. It smashed on the ground; shards scattering across the room as the water soaked the stone at Rachel's feet.

Aila froze, quite stunned. Out the corner of her eye, she saw Rachel tremble in fury. She thought for a moment Rachel would threaten her again, or shout, or say _something_ , but the blonde clone simply marched out of the room after deciding Aila was too impossible to deal with.

This was war now, as far as Rachel was concerned. If drastic measures were called for, Aila had brought it on herself.

\--

Katja lay across the sofa in the living room with Bianca, trying to relax as she watched a movie on TV. It had been two days since they'd met Lucas at his house, and everyone was on edge.

The longer they left Aila in DYAD's care, the more worried they became for her safety. Leigh seemed to be taking the doctor's absence especially hard, though Katja figured that was to be expected.

The German jumped slightly as her phone went off. She answered it without bothering to see who it was. “Hallo?”

“Katja?” Lucas spoke through the device.

“Ja. Vat is news?”

“Eliza has agreed to help us. She vishes to meet vith you all. Ven and vere vould be best to meet?”

Katja tilted her head, thinking about it. She supposed the safest thing to do would be to meet back at Lucas's house, though she figured she should ask the others before making plans.

“Hold on,” she told Lucas, before sitting up. “Ratty? Leigh?” she called to the others loudly, causing a heavy cough as she did. The German scowled at the blood on her hand, but managed to wipe most of it off on a tissue before the others appeared.

“Yeah?” Leigh asked, holding a cup of tea. Rat said nothing but looked at her sister curiously, standing with Charles at her side.

“Lucas's friend vishes to meet vith us. Vat do I tell him? Meet at his house?

Rat frowned slightly, again wondering if it was a trap, though she reminded herself that Lucas had proven he was trustworthy. His friend, however...well, if he really trusted the person enough that he was confident they wouldn't hurt or betray them, then she reasoned it was _probably_ fine to meet at the same location.

Leigh nodded. “I suppose that's fine...” she said, sounding somewhat wary as well.

“Yeah, you can tell him we can go over tonight when it gets dark,” Rat said, preferring the safety of darkness for a meeting like this.

Katja nodded, repeating the words into the phone.

“We'll be here,” Lucas promised before hanging up.

\--

Aila was starting to grow bored. It had been the same all day every day, for how long, she couldn't quite remember. Every few hours or so, the door to her isolated cell would bang open, followed by a very vexed Rachel Duncan, and the two would struggle over the same subject each time. Then Rachel would leave, more annoyed than when she'd appeared.

Aila let out a weary sigh the next time it happened, fully preparing for another round of deja vu. She sat up straight on the bed, bracing herself for the proclone's demands.

But wait.

Rachel wasn't alone this time. The figure of a man followed her. The man Aila recognised as her kidnapper.

Something about him made Aila's skin crawl. She resisted the urge to shrink back into the shadows as the two approached, instead boldly sitting still to show she wasn't about to be fazed. Rachel stared silently at Aila for almost two minutes before anyone moved or spoke.

“Give back what is mine,” Rachel's voice shattered the silence. “Or suffer.”

Aila stared at Rachel, and then at the man she'd brought with her. Surely Rachel wouldn't actually hurt her...though the longer she stared at the man, the less sure she was. Rachel _herself_ might not, but somehow, Aila thought Rachel wouldn't have any problems ordering someone else to.

The doctor silently weighed her options. Would Rachel kill her? Or just try to force her to talk through inflicting pain? Either way, if Rachel truly was so far gone that she was willing to do this, there was no way Aila was going to give up Leigh. Leigh had saved her life, and if Aila had to die to protect her then so be it.

Game on.

“I'm not calling her.”

The words seemed to resonate in the silence as Rachel's eyes grew dark with rage, even as her face remained still and stoic. “Fine,” the blonde hissed after a moment, her voice low and threatening. She turned to face her companion. “Daniel.”

Daniel nodded. “Leave it to me. She'll talk.”

Rachel turned to leave. The blonde stopped before the door, not turning around or looking back as she spoke. “Do not disappoint me, Daniel.”

With that, Rachel left, the door slamming behind her with a resounding bang. Aila looked up at the man and grit her teeth hard, trying not to show him any fear as she wondered what exactly he had been ordered to do. Maim her? Rape her?

The doctor shuddered hard at the thought, involuntarily shrinking back a bit as he approached the bed. She knew there wasn't much she could do to fight back either way in her weakened state. Even though Rachel had allowed her enough water to live, she hadn't eaten since she was brought to this horrible place.

Daniel reached into his pocket then, taking out a small knife. Upon closer inspection, Aila could tell it was a pocket switchblade, and she was sure this was no coincidence.

Daniel smirked slightly. “Been doing some reading on you. You _like_ knives, don't you? Especially this kind. Is that right?”

Aila remained silent, looking entirely unimpressed as she stared at the weapon. “If your plan is to intimidate me, I think you'd better come up with a better one,” she said quietly, her voice surprisingly steady and firm even as her heart pounded with a sickening mix of fear and anxiety. Daniel reminded her of the bosses who ran the house she grew up in. In a way, it helped her resolve to show no fear outwardly, and not bow to him for as long as possible.

Daniel's eyes flashed dangerously at her words. He reached out and grabbed Aila's hair at the back of her head, forcing her to look up at him as he pressed the blade to the skin on her cheek. “Last chance to give me the information Rachel wants.”

Aila met Daniel's gaze, gritting her teeth hard. “ _Make me._ ”

\--

Impatience was increasing for Rat as the hours dragged on. She wanted this meeting over with already so they could get Aila back.

The remaining three clones barely uttered a word to each other for the rest of the day while they waited to leave. Katja sat quietly with Bianca, deciding to conserve her energy, while Leigh kept mostly to other rooms as if she wanted space. The silence was bothering Rat a lot. She didn't like the tension.

The hacker abandoned her laptop at one point to help herself to a drink from the kitchen, only to find Leigh already in there. The hairdresser was leaning against the fridge with her back to Rat, apparently staring into space. As Rat approached, she realised Leigh was waiting for the kettle to boil.

Rat crept up behind her, having every intention of telling her to move so she could access the fridge...but something was wrong. As the hacker stepped past Leigh to make her presence known, the hairdresser jumped, startled, but then froze in defeat.

Leigh was crying.

It had hit her earlier how much Aila meant to her; to _all_ of them. How much she had possibly taken the doctor for granted. How Leigh had grown to love her as a _sister_ and not just another clone. She never should have let her take part in that stupid tournament; she never should have left her alone in the hospital...

Rat could only watch Leigh for a few moments, unsure of how to respond. It unnerved her a little that Leigh looked right at her as tears escaped, not even bothering to hide her sadness. The hacker had seen Leigh upset and angry countless times, but this was different.

This was hopelessness.

Grief hit Rat suddenly as well. A part of her wanted to tell Leigh to get a grip, to keep focused and get through tonight so they could form a solid plan, but she knew Leigh had probably had that conversation with herself already anyway. Leigh was trying so hard. She always _had_ been, and it hit Rat hard when she reminded herself of that.

Rat placed a hand on Leigh's arm, both to attempt to offer comfort, and make the hairdresser move away from the fridge. Leigh complied when Rat stirred her away to open the door. She hovered in the middle of the kitchen as she wiped away her tears, barely paying attention to Rat taking out a carton of milk.

She was about to leave the kitchen to retreat to her room, but Rat caught up to her and pressed a warm cup into her hands. She had finished making the tea Leigh had started.

Leigh managed a smile and a laugh. Rat smiled too.

Something caught their attention at the kitchen door. A sleepy Katja had appeared, holding her coat in one hand. “It is nearly time,” she told both clones. “Vee should start getting ready to leave...ja?”

Leigh and Rat both nodded and hurried to leave the kitchen. Leigh drank her tea as fast as she could, allowing its warmth to lift her spirits as they all prepared for the meeting.

\--

When the clones arrived at Lucas's house under the comforting guise of nightfall, the streets were thankfully empty. The German man opened the door and ushered them inside quickly.

“Now, we have already started tossing around ideas about how we might figure out where your friend is being held. Eliza believes she may be able to gain access to Rachel's office temporarily to search for clues...” he was saying as he led the group into the living room.

On the far side of the room was an older woman who looked to be around Lucas's age. She had long red hair that was turning grayish-blonde with age, and wore a white DYAD lab coat, and a pair of thick-rimmed black glasses.

Eliza turned to face them all properly with a light smile, and Rat froze on the spot, her eyes wide in stunned shock.

“M-Mom!?” she gasped before she could stop herself.

Eliza blinked, her eyes landing on Rat before her expression mirrored the clone's. “Regina?” she whispered.

Leigh and Katja could only stare in surprise. This woman was Rat's mother? Leigh realised then that she never once stopped to wonder if the hacker had any living family besides Katja, but why was her _mother_ here? It seemed like almost too big of a coincidence.

Rat rounded on Lucas, her eyes blazing with rage. “Did you _know_ about this?!” she demanded.

Lucas backed away from the angry clone, raising his hands up in surprise. “K-Know about vat?!” he asked, entirely lost as he looked to Eliza for some type of explanation.

Eliza seemed taken aback by Rat's aggressive reaction to her presence, but she somehow stayed calm as she spoke. “Lucas...do you recall that one of my daughters went missing shortly after the other passed away?” she asked quietly.

Lucas nodded. “O-of course. DYAD suspected zat she committed suicide...” he trailed off then, looking at Rat as the dots connected themselves. “Z-zis is...zat means you are...”

Eliza nodded. “Your other living daughter...Katja's blood-sister.”

Rat continued to glare at Lucas, not believing for a second that he didn't know. “You _honestly_ expect me to believe this is a coincidence?!” she hissed lowly, her eyes darting between him and Eliza.

Katja spoke up then. “Vee need to save doctor,” she reminded her sister gently, seeing that Lucas really _didn't_ know about the connection. “Lucas said zis voman can help, ja? Vhy not listen just for doctors sake?” She was as surprised as anyone to actually meet Rat's mother, but she knew they couldn't lose sight of their goal now. Getting Aila back was still the top priority.

Rat glanced at her, the fire in her eyes hardly dimming. “As if she _really_ wants to help anyone,” she muttered. She fixed her glare on Eliza. “You've never given a shit about clones before. Don't expect me to buy that you want to help now. You're probably just a spy for Leekie.”

“I'm _not,_ ” Eliza insisted firmly, meeting her daughter's eyes as she spoke. “I didn't even _know_ you were one of the clones Lucas mentioned. How could I have possibly planned something like that?”

Leigh could only watch the scene unfold in sheer exasperation, largely tuning the argument out as she retreated into her own mind to mull things over. At this rate, they were never going to come up with a plan to rescue Aila. She couldn't help wondering how the doctor was doing at that moment as she again felt a deep pang of guilt and a powerful longing for the other clone's calming presence.

She hoped Rachel was at least taking care of Aila, even if she was holding the doctor somewhere against her will. Leigh still couldn't bring herself to believe Rachel would let any harm come to Aila. Rachel was a bit robotic at times, but she wasn't _violent_.

The hairdresser turned her attention back towards the events unfolding in the room to pick back up with what was being said, realising she'd missed a good chunk of the conversation. Seeing Rat still glaring down at Eliza, she was tempted to try to break up the pointless fighting herself so they could redirect to the real issue at hand.

Eliza met her daughter's cold and angry gaze. "I'm not asking you to forgive me. No...that would be far too much to ask. What your father and I put you and your sister through was unforgivable. However...I _am_ asking for the chance to explain why we treated you both so poorly. Perhaps then you will understand that I _do_ want to help you now, and we can move onto the more important topic we came here to discuss in the first place. It's inconvenient, I know, but we have time, and I'm going to _need_ you to trust me before we'll have _any_ chance of finding your friend.”

Rat grit her teeth hard, inwardly fighting between the urge to fight and the urge to get as far away from this woman as possible. Katja was right though. They needed to save Aila, and if this was the only way, shouldn't she at least hear what her mother had to say before deciding if she could be trusted temporarily?

She stared at Eliza for several tense moments, before slowly lowering herself to sit on the sofa. Her cold gaze darted between the older woman and Lucas, still skeptical of the extent of his knowledge about this mess.

“Fine,” she muttered. “You have _one_ chance, so choose your words carefully.”

Eliza nodded in understanding. Katja quietly moved to sit beside Rat, taking her sister's hand in hopes of keeping her calm. Leigh walked over to listen but remained standing, hoping they could sort this out so that they could focus wholly on finding Aila.

The older woman adjusted her glasses and took a moment to gather her thoughts before speaking. “I know you don't believe it, but we _did_ love you and your sister, Regina,” she said quietly, ignoring Rat's eye roll at the statement. “We just weren't allowed to show it.”

Rat blinked, looking unimpressed. “Explain.”

Eliza leaned back in her chair. “When Lucas was made to give the three of you up, one was adopted fairly quickly, but the family could only take one at the time.”

Rat nodded, glancing at her sister before turning her attention back to her mother. “Yes, I know about Katja and her family. You can also assume I know about everything that's in my official DYAD file. Get to the point.”

Eliza nodded and sighed quietly. She turned to speak directly to Katja now. “When you were adopted, Aldous obviously looked into the family who adopted you in order to figure out who your monitor should be. It didn't take long to realise you'd be raised in an environment that was completely devoted to love and family. After making this realisation...I suppose he saw the situation as an opportunity for a study on nature and nurture, especially since he was dealing with children who were both clones _and_ blood-sisters. If one child was raised in a loving environment, what would happen if the others were raised in other fixed conditions...”

Rat stared at her, her face completely void of emotion as she allowed what Eliza just said to sink in. “So what you're telling me is we were neglected just because...because Leekie wanted to see what would happen? To see how different we'd end up being from Katja? Is that right?”

Eliza nodded sadly. “Yes. He wanted you and Cecile raised in an environment where you'd be safe, fed, and given a proper education, but emotional attachment would be withheld unless it was critically needed.”

“That's _disgusting!_ ” Leigh couldn't help but blurt out as she stared at the scientist. Her hatred towards Leekie and DYAD increased tenfold. The organization really was more vile than she ever could have imagined. She couldn't help feeling like she understood Rat a lot better in that moment though, as she recalled Katja explaining that the hacker didn't have much experience with birthday gestures or other social situations. It made sense now.

“And you agreed to do it,” Rat said flatly, inwardly agreeing with Leigh. It wasn't a question; just a cold statement. The hacker wondered how many other clone blood-sisters had been separated and put through similar experiences, glancing at Leigh as she thought this. It had been _exactly_ like that for her and Rachel too, Rat realised.

“Yes,” Eliza continued. “We were in Aldous's debt, and he made it clear it would be in our best interest to agree...originally, we were just going to have one child, and the third would be sent elsewhere, but Aldous decided it would be more...interesting...to keep both of you together. He wanted to see if the two of you would work together and compensate for the lack of parental direction. We never really wanted children, and _thought_ that following orders wouldn't be overly difficult...but we ended up caring for you both far more than we thought we would. Several times, we debated just taking you both and running, but then what life would that have been for you?”

Rat narrowed her eyes coldly. “Probably a better one, to be blunt. At least then we wouldn't have thought you two didn't give a crap about us. Even when C was on her deathbed in never-ending agony you were _always_ stone-faced whenever we saw you. I don't know why you really want to help us now, but you can't really expect me to believe you _loved_ us after witnessing that,” she seethed, her voice dropping to a threatening pitch.

Eliza flinched and sighed. “We had no choice. We pleaded with Aldous to allow us to break the contract just for that time. You both were so young and in so much pain...we couldn't stand not being able to comfort and support you both, but he wouldn't have it. He didn't care, despite his promises to help.”

“So why the hell did you LISTEN then if you cared so damn much?!” Rat demanded, her nails digging into the palm of her free hand as she clenched her fist tightly. She gripped Katja's hand hard with her other hand. She tried to yell, but her voice grew raspy when she raised it, forcing her to talk at a normal volume, which only increased her frustration.

“Because he made it very clear that your sister would have a tragic accidental mix up of medications if we did,” Eliza whispered. Her eyes glazed over with shiny, unshed tears as she recalled that moment from so long ago.

All three clones stared at Eliza in numb shock. Rat lost her fire in that moment as her mind spun. She turned pale and felt very sick. She thought she knew the lowest Leekie was willing to stoop to to get what he wanted, but this was a whole new level of psychopathic. Had he really threatened to kill an already dying girl just to make sure their parents continued to act neglectful, even in the worst of situations?

Eliza continued speaking. “We decided that after Cecile was healthy again, we were going to tell you both everything and flee, despite the risks. That threat was taking it too far.”

“But she died,” Rat said numbly as she unconsciously leaned against Katja for comfort.

“Yes...we thought it would be best to allow ourselves and you time to mourn before we told you everything, but then you vanished before we could. At first we thought DYAD had taken you for some reason, but Ian told us you left on your own in the middle of the night. We tried to find you, even pleaded with Lydia to give us some idea of where you might have gone, but she always kept up that she had no idea where you were. We were at a loss as to what to do next, though once Aldous learned that you ran away, he relocated us here. He probably thought we'd sent you away.”

“A-and you've just...stayed here ever since?” Rat squeaked, trying to get her mind around everything. It was impossible to take in such a huge revelation so quickly.

Eliza nodded. “We decided staying close to Aldous was our best bet of one day finding you. We never wanted to believe his eventual theory of suicide, though we never expected to find you again under such extreme circumstances.”

Rat sat in silence for a moment before shakily getting to her feet. She looked as though she was going to be sick. “I...I need some air...” she whispered, physically trembling with the force of her thoughts and emotions. She fled the room before anyone could say anything else.

\--

A piercing scream penetrated the silence at the DYAD facility. Rachel had been making her way to one particular cell, and the sounds coming from inside forced her to stop in her tracks. It sent shivers down her spine and made her feel cold.

Not that she'd ever _show_ that. Too much was at stake to show such weakness now.

Rachel continued on, inviting herself into the dark cell to make her presence known. She dreaded to think what Leekie would have to say if he became aware of what Rachel had done; what she was ordering her monitor to do...was she taking it too far?

Well, it was too late to change her mind now. She might as well see it through. The doctor would break. She _had to._

“Daniel,” Rachel spoke firmly to the cold room.

Daniel was crouching over the bed. He stood up straight at the sound of Rachel's voice, turning to face her. A sharp blade shimmered in what little light had crept into the cell, illuminating drops of blood. Rachel felt a wave of sickness hit her at the sight.

“Stand aside, Daniel, so I can speak with her,” Rachel told him.

Daniel didn't hesitate to move. Aila was shaking on the end of the bed, willing herself to sit up straight and wipe away any tears that had escaped her. Her face was lined with fresh cuts, as well as her arms. They looked sore and painful...but Rachel couldn't focus on that.

“This stops when you co-operate,” she said to Aila.

“ _Go to hell,_ ” Aila spat.

“You are only doing this to yourself,” Rachel responded. Who was she trying convince? Aila, or herself?

Aila forced out a broken laugh. “You think Leigh's gonna want to have anything to do with you after this?” she blurted out before thinking of the consequences. She didn't care. She was too angry. Too betrayed. “ _How_ she ended up with a sister like you is a _joke._ ”

Something finally snapped within Rachel. She delivered a sharp slap to the doctor's face, causing her to stumble slightly and almost fall off the bed. Rachel watched, furious, as Aila regained her balance and stared up at her.

“ _How dare you?_ ” Rachel hissed. She was shaking now too, even more so than Aila.

“How dare _I_?” Aila seethed, glaring at Rachel darkly. “You sick bitch. You don't _deserve_ to have a sister as wonderful and kind as Leigh! She would never even come _close_ to doing anything like this, and she's _never_ gonna forgive you when she finds out what you've done.”

Rachel lunged forward, slamming her hand on the wall beside Aila's head, their faces now just inches apart. The crackling energy between their glares could have sparked into a flame at any moment.

“WHY WON'T YOU _BREAK!?_ ” Rachel screamed, losing herself completely for a moment. “You don't understand! I want Leigh SAFE, so I need her BACK! _NOW!_ ”

Aila could only stare in horrified shock, never knowing Rachel to lose her cool over anything like this. Before she could say anything though, Rachel stepped back and glared at her darkly. “I will break you if it's the last thing I ever do,” she hissed lowly before glancing at Daniel. “Don't hold back. Just do not kill her,” she ordered before whipping around and leaving the room again. The door slammed shut with a loud bang.

Aila swallowed hard, inwardly steeling herself up as much as possible for whatever the sadistic man would have in mind. This was going to be a long night.

Out in the hallway, Rachel took several steadying breaths to regain control over herself. That display of emotion was unexpected and entirely unwelcome. She couldn't believe such a lowly clone could get under her skin so much. Emotional outbursts were not becoming of her. She was above them, and she would remember that. She decided not to see Aila again after this. She'd simply gain updates from Daniel.

Rachel looked down and noticed blood smeared on her hand. She paled at the sight of it, and almost ran to the bathroom to wash it off before staring into the mirror. She gazed upon her own reflection.

She could only see Leigh staring back at her.


	31. Chapter 30

Daylight shone through the gaps in the curtains at the house of clones. None of them had slept, least of all Rat. She'd been edgy and nervous since reuniting with her mother, who seemed eager to get on the hacker's good side. Rat could hardly stand to be around her though. She was still too conflicted to even think about giving Eliza her attention for the time being.

Rat was the first out of bed that morning to tend to the dogs and prepare for the day. Lucas had agreed to bring Eliza over later so they could work on a plan to rescue Aila, and Rat wasn't looking forward to it. She busied herself with straightening up the place and starting breakfast for when the others awoke, keen to keep herself occupied.

She set up her laptop while she ate. A nagging thought occurred to her as she signed into Skype.

Beth.

Rat clicked on the detective's name. She was currently offline. The hacker felt a twinge of guilt for barely giving Beth a second thought since her latest revelation. She hoped Beth would find comfort and support in Alison, at least...it seemed like the two of them were close...

' _Beth, get in touch whenever you can. We're worried and we need to discuss something._ '

Rat stared at the message she'd typed for a moment or two before sending it to Beth. She hoped the cop would read it if she was online and hiding, and respond whenever she could. It was true. They _did_ need to discuss going over there. It was better to plan their visit _now_ so they could leave immediately after retrieving Aila.

The detective didn't respond back, and Rat sighed as she leaned back on the sofa. She found that sitting still made her thoughts wander onto topics she didn't want to think about just yet. After a moment, she stood and made her way to the kitchen to wash her plate, figuring she might as well take care of the rest of the dishes as well.

A creak on the floor made the hacker glance over and see a sleepy Leigh wander into the kitchen. “Morning,” Rat said quietly as the sink filled up with soapy water. “Made bacon and cheese omelettes if you want any,” she offered, nodding to the stove where enough food sat in the pan for her and Katja to take.

Leigh stared at the pan, before glancing at the other clone as she cleaned the dishes from the past few days. “How're you holding up?”

Rat froze for a moment and shrugged. “I'm fine.”

“Lies,” Leigh scolded bluntly as she cut the remaining part of the omelette in half. She took it over to the microwave.

“ _Excuse_ me?” Rat muttered, narrowing her eyes slightly at the hairdresser.

“You heard. I can't even begin to imagine what it must have been like to learn about all that, but you know, it _is_ OK to not be fine. Me and Katja...we're both here for you.” It always had been difficult and awkward trying to connect with the hacker on an emotional level, but after learning about the type of upbringing she was put through, Leigh couldn't help wanting to make more of an effort to support her.

Rat shrugged, turning her gaze back towards the dishes as she considered Leigh's words. “I'll be fine. Just need to put up with her long enough to get Aila back, and then we can leave,” she said dismissively, pausing for a moment. Then, she reluctantly continued. “Can't help but wonder what else I think I know that's actually completely wrong, though...”

“Yeah, you and me both,” Leigh muttered.

Both clones were quiet while Leigh ate, but she found she didn't have much of an appetite. The hairdresser glanced up from her plate, watching as Rat finished washing the dishes and dried her hands on a towel. “Your mum said you just vanished overnight.”

Rat glanced at her, raising an eyebrow. “Is there a question in that statement?”

Leigh shrugged. “I'm just curious as to why.”

Rat stared at her for a moment, before sighing lightly and sitting down near the other clone. “After Cecile died, we left London and returned to Geneva, but I couldn't help thinking how suspicious DYAD was. While we were living here, I started noticing things. The whole place just felt _wrong_ somehow...hell, I'm sure I even saw another clone back then, but Leekie intercepted me before I could get close to her. When I got home, I decided to do some digging myself. I wasn't _that_ good with my computer skills at that point, but my mentor helped me break into DYAD's files that first time, and taught me how to do it...”

“Your mentor?” Leigh asked, raising an eyebrow.

Rat nodded. “Yeah. Trust me, you don't learn how to do what I do by yourself. Her codename was Raven. It didn't take us too long to find out about the whole clone thing, and about monitors. I was relieved that my mentor _wasn't_ also my monitor, but finding out about clones just made everything fit somehow – the reason my parents could hardly bear to look at me while they fawned over their own human child, the medical tests I'd gone through since birth, the girl I saw who looked exactly like me that Leekie insisted I hadn't seen, the reason everybody treated Cecile like a failed experiment rather than a human being... _everything_ was explained by the simple fact I was a human clone.”

The hacker took a moment to allow her voice to recover before continuing. “I didn't feel safe at home anymore. I waited until night time, got all my stuff together, and left along with Charles. I lived with Raven for a couple of weeks while we looked into the clone stuff. She protected me from DYAD and gave me my false identity...though after realising how far DYAD would go to get what they wanted, I decided I didn't want to put Raven in the line of fire more than I already had. I relocated to my library. I lived there ever since.”

Leigh stared at the Swiss woman. “Jesus...I couldn't imagine doing all that so young. I don't blame you though, really. I wouldn't feel safe either. Must have taken guts to leave your mentor and try to make it alone though. Did leaving keep her safe, at least?”

Rat nodded. “As far as I know, yeah. I figured DYAD wouldn't have much of a reason to mess with her since they could never prove she knew anything about where I was. She respected my decision, even if she disagreed with it, and just gave me a phone number to call if I ever needed her again. I haven't called her though. Sometimes I'm tempted to, but...” she trailed off and shrugged.

Leigh sighed, absently poking at her food. She still couldn't believe just how messed up DYAD really was. It seemed like whenever she thought they couldn't get any worse, she found out another way they'd ruined lives and torn families apart. The two clones fell into silence, both consumed by their own thoughts.

It wasn't long before Katja made an appearance, already fully dressed and ready to take on the day. “I have all things packed ready to go see Beth,” she told them both a little while later. “You two must do the same. As soon as Aila is out, _ve go over there._ ”

“Yeah, but Beth's not responding,” Rat pointed out. She couldn't blame Katja for being eager. It was obvious she wanted to ease her own fears about her sickness, however small the chance.

“Vell ve can still _go_ to Canada and zen let her know ve are there,” Katja stated. “Vee get Aila out _today._ No more messing around.”

Both Rat and Leigh could only watch silently as the German helped herself to some breakfast. Surprisingly, she managed to eat more than Leigh, and even asked if Leigh was going to finish her own. Leigh shoved the plate towards her, deciding Katja needed all the energy she could get.

The hours seemed to fly by, between trying in vain to get Beth's attention and conversing idly with Danielle, because Lucas was knocking on the door before they knew it. Rat braced herself and shut the dogs into a another room for the duration of the visit, not wanting to become distracted by their enthusiasm for guests this time around. This required total concentration.

Everyone made themselves comfortable in the living room, though each person was tense. Rat was the only one to remain standing. She could feel Eliza's stare burning into her, though she refused to make eye contact.

“You said you have access to Rachel's office,” Rat spoke calmly and clearly while staring at the wall. “Explain.”

Eliza frowned slightly, but nodded. “Neal and I still work together in the Genetics Department of the DYAD labs, and every Friday afternoon, it's my job to drop off the weekly reports to Rachel's office. If we can somehow get her away from the office during that time, I'd be able to have a quick look around. I don't know if she'd have any clues about your friend's location, but it's worth a try.”

Rat thought about it for a moment, knowing Rachel wasn't likely to have anything like that just lying around. “I've got one better. If I can make an audio tracking bug, would you be able to plant it in her office somewhere?” she asked, still not looking over.

“Yeah, I can do that,” Eliza confirmed with a nod. “The only ones who are usually in there besides us who drop off paperwork are Leekie, Rachel, and Rachel's bodyguard, Daniel.”

“It'll do for a start,” Rat nodded, mentally running through her options. “It'll take some time to make it, and I'll need materials.”

“Vee don't have any money,” Katja reminded her with a grunt.

“Let us take care of funding,” Lucas said immediately. “Please, just give us a list of everyzing needed.”

Rat nodded. “Fine...I can probably modify pre-built microphones to suit our needs,” she muttered, trying to work out in her head exactly what she'd need to do before writing down a list of materials for Lucas and Eliza to buy. She didn't miss the way Katja was scowling, but she didn't comment. It was highly unlikely they would be able to save Aila today, despite what the German woman wanted. They had to do this _right_ , or else they'd risk getting more of them captured.

“While you're doing that, I can see about looking into the building's structure to narrow down low-traffic areas. I can see if I can get a general idea where they might be keeping a prisoner,” Rat continued on, looking down at her laptop as she spoke. “We'll also need to start thinking of how exactly we're getting in and out once we do locate Aila.”

Leigh shrugged. “I can dress up like Rachel. I've switched places with her before for laughs.”

Rat nodded slowly. “That might work.”

Leigh nodded too. Truthfully, the idea of playing Rachel was nerve-wrecking when it was under such serious circumstances, but it was the best shot they had. “I'll need clothes and a wig then. I'm sure I can create that stupid haircut one last time...” Leigh left the room then, fully intending to search her room for anything she could use to disguise herself, leaving the others to sit quietly for a moment.

“She does not need to vorry about zese zings. As I said, vee vill pay for everyzing,” Lucas spoke to Rat and Katja.

Rat grumbled something in agreement, though she didn't seem to be paying much attention. She was far too busy looking up various things on her laptop.

Katja was growing impatient. She understood it was going to take time, but the tension was bothering her more than she thought it would. Without hesitation, she reached for her rucksack, which she'd left at the foot of the sofa, and retrieved her own laptop. She wasn't sure she knew what to look for, exactly, but it might help to have two of them doing research...

Katja's Skype signed her in automatically, as it always did upon booting up the laptop. She went to click the button to sign out, only to see a familiar, and now sickening name online once again.

Janika.

Katja stared blankly at the screen for a while. Was Helena aware of what had happened to Maggie? Was the killer clone in Canada too? Had she gone after _Beth?_

The German stood shakily from the sofa and glanced down at the others. “I feel sick,” she told them all. It wasn't a lie. “I just...” Katja bolted from the room with the laptop, causing the others to watch her go in alarm.

Worried for her sister, but devoted to the task at hand, Rat tore her gaze from the door and instead focused on the laptop again. “She...she's not well,” she told Lucas and Eliza reluctantly. “She has moments. I'll check up on her after this...”

“Not well?” Eliza repeated. Rat didn't like the concern in her voice. She wasn't sure she trusted it was genuine. “Not well like...like...”

“ _Yes._ Like Cecile,” Rat spat bitterly.

Both Rat and Eliza missed the look of horror that flashed across Lucas's face at these words. Rat closed her eyes for a moment to recompose herself, pushing all thoughts of the sickness and her other sister away for the moment. She needed to focus.

“Regina...” Eliza started, the concern in her voice still present.

“ _Don't,_ ” Rat warned her coldly. “Just leave it.”

Eliza glanced at Lucas with a defeated expression, but she said nothing more on the matter. Rat sighed quietly and carried on with what she was doing, the soft sound of her typing filling the otherwise silent room.

\--

Katja flopped down on her bed with an irritated groan. She hated wasting so much time, and would rather just break into the building and take Aila back by force. How hard could it be? Her thoughts fell silent when another violent cough shook her thin frame, painting her hand and her bed sheets red.

The sight of it only fuelled her frustration. If it wasn't for Rachel, they'd already be with Beth and her scientist friend, and Katja would actually have a chance of not leaving her sister alone in the world. But no, they were stuck here in London, playing cat and mouse just because of a crazy blonde clone. Blonde clones tended to be the crazy ones, she thought, looking back to the laptop where Janika's Skype was still logged in.

If pressed later, Katja wouldn't be able to explain why she suddenly seized the laptop and typed a message to Helena. She needed something to vent on, and the blonde seemed to be the best option in that moment in light of Maggie Chen's death.

' _Why don't you just give it up? Someone will stop you eventually._ '

Katja slammed the enter key hard to send the message. No response came for a while. The German sat in silence, debating her next actions, until an incoming call from Janika's account made her jump out of her skin.

Katja answered it despite instinct telling her not to. Helena's face greeted her.

“How _dare_ you,” Katja snapped instantly, not allowing Helena a chance to speak. “How dare you carry Janika's laptop still? Vat ez zee _matter_ vith you?”

Helena seemed as though she was barely paying attention to Katja, instead fiddling with the laptop lid to adjust its position. “She no longer needs it,” the killer said simply after a moment. “Cannot take it vith her to hell, can she?”

Katja slammed both hands down hard on the desk at these words, once again feeling the urge to hurt Helena for all she had done. “It's _you_ who ez going to hell,” she spat at the laptop. She gained Helena's full attention now. The blonde stared with wide eyes at the camera, perplexed. “Both you and your friend, Maggie. I'm sure she ez vaiting to velcome you zere.”

“I already tell you reasons for vhy I do zese zings,” Helena snapped. She was impatient that nobody could understand her _valid_ reasons for all she had done. Their lack of understanding just proved how unworthy they were of the gift of life. “I am surprised at you, Katja. Surprised zat you have made it zis far in your _broken_ and _worthless_ state...”

Helena trailed off and let out a bark of laughter. Katja shook with fury. Nobody had ever got under her skin like Helena.

“You are NOT LISTENING!” Katja bellowed now. It was enough to wipe the smirk off of Helena's face. “Maggie is dead and _gone!_ If you do not stop, you vill be _next!_ ”

Helena seemed to freeze then, staring at the laptop with wide eyes. “Maggie is not dead. Maggie is doing job and finding out vere demons hide.”

“Maggie is _dead_ ,” Katja said lowly. “One of us killed her before _she_ could kill them. She vill be vaiting for you in hell ven you go zere.”

Helena's face transformed into a dark scowl. “You are _lying_.”

“Am I?” Katja said coolly. “Ven vas zee last time you spoke to her? Vas it any time after zee 30th of September? If not, zen zere ez reason for zis.”

Despite the wrongness of the situation, Katja couldn't help feeling pleased at the look of utter rage now covering Helena's face.

“If I find out you are lying, you _vill_ be next, Katja,” Helena growled lowly before the video cut out.

It only took Katja a moment to realise exactly what she'd just done. She was shocked at her own irrational impulsiveness and realised they clones would be staying still for a while yet. If Helena was going to come for Katja next, the thought of her condition killing her would be the least of her worries.

Rat opened the door then and looked in, looking vaguely alarmed. “Katja, are you OK? I heard you yelling at something...” she said, looking between her sister and the laptop. She noticed Janika's Skype window. “Oh _please_ tell me you didn't talk to Helena again...” Rat said, trying and failing to keep the annoyance out of her voice.

Katja said nothing and scowled at the computer before slamming the lid shut and shaking her head. “Do not vorry about her, schwester...vee must get doctor back and zen vee vill leave. Helena ez not concern.”

Rat stared at Katja for a moment before sighing and shaking her head. “It's not going to happen that fast, Katja. I'll work as quickly as I can, but this plan needs to be _air tight_ , or we'll end up worse off than we already are,” she tried to reason gently, seeing that Katja still wasn't in the best mood.

Katja could only nod in agreement. “I am tired, Rat,” she admitted quietly without making eye contact.

Rat watched her for a while. She knew her sister didn't mean she needed to sleep. “I know. We all are,” she whispered. She put an arm around Katja.

The sisters held onto each other for a while, temporarily blocking everything and everyone else from their thoughts. Later on, as Rat let go and backed away, thoughts of Beth crossed Katja's mind.

Wherever Helena was right now, Beth needed to be careful. If she was next to go, Katja would only blame herself.

\--

As promised, Lucas and Eliza bought every specific part of technology Rat had requested. The hacker got to work immediately on modifying the small microphones so their locations could be tracked via her laptop. Eliza would need to find a way to plant them in Rachel's office, Leekie's office, and if possible, on Rachel's bodyguard.

As expected though, the process took time. Two days passed since the hacker began working, often having the others carry the pieces around the house and outside (even having Lucas bring one to DYAD with him for the day) to make sure they were working properly.

Katja still wasn't happy, but she accepted there was no real way to fast-track this process more than it already had been. Another three days passed before the pieces were deemed ready to be planted. The clones waited anxiously as the day dragged on, but when Eliza returned to the house that evening, it was with good news.

“All three have been put in their places,” she said quietly.

Rat nodded, leaning back as she checked her laptop. “Good. I'll keep an eye on the audio and the location and see if I can figure out where Aila's being held.” She hoped they'd get a clue of some kind before the bugs were discovered. “Unfortunately, all we can do is wait.”

Leigh looked at the laptop as well, her eyes finding the glowing dot that had been marked ' _Rachel's Office_ '. She frowned, but said nothing. She managed to put together an outfit that could pass for being one of Rachel's over the last few days, and Eliza had bought her a blonde wig that she could style to match Rachel's hair.

Eliza looked at her daughter for a moment, before leaving the house. Rat thought she'd gone home for the evening, but blinked when the redhead returned after several minutes, holding a large black case.

Rat eyed the case warily. “What's that?”

Eliza walked over and set it on the table beside Rat's laptop, and it only took seeing it in the light to know exactly what it was. It was an instrument case of some type.

“While now might not be the best time, I assume you'll be leaving again as soon as your friend is found, so...” Eliza said quietly with a shrug. “We kept this all these years in case we ever found you again...you should have it back.”

Rat blinked slowly, reaching for the case and opening it to reveal an old, polished violin. Leigh raised an eyebrow at the instrument, glancing at Rat for some type of explanation as the hacker slowly ran her fingers over the smooth wood with an almost sad expression.

“Leigh, do you remember when I told you before that I eventually found a much more positive method of stress relief?” Rat said quietly. “Well, this would be it. Probably suck at it now though. I haven't played in over ten years.” She sighed, looking up at Eliza. “Thank you.”

Eliza gave a nod of acknowledgment and sat down on a chair a few feet away. “We've missed hearing your music. It was always beautiful and calming.”

Rat stayed silent, unsure of how to respond as she took the violin out of its case, checking it over for any sign of damage.

\--

The time to save Aila approached fast. Everyone prepared themselves, barely speaking to one another. It seemed each person needed space to gather their thoughts and get ready for what they were about to do.

Everyone knew their place. They all knew what was expected of them.

Leigh had kept to her room for the majority of the day. She couldn't explain the need to work in private as she constructed Rachel's hairstyle on the blonde wig, but nobody questioned her.

It was funny. This had been the start of her mission as well. This stupid game had started with Rachel, with Leigh styling a wig to become her temporarily, just as she was doing now. Chunks of blonde hair littered the floor at Leigh's feet where she worked. She didn't care much about tidying them away.

Leigh wasn't sure when it started, but she became aware of music playing suddenly when she pulled herself from her thoughts. The sound of a violin playing somewhere in the house brought a lump to Leigh's throat; a strange sadness she wasn't sure she understood. The hairdresser focused on Rat's music as she dressed herself up, finally standing before the mirror as she held the wig in her hands.

She hesitated before lowering her head to complete the look. Her reflection unnerved her when she looked back at it, and panic flooded her as the realisation of what was about to happen sunk in.

“ _Shit._ ”

It was bizarre seeing and hearing this word come from Rachel's mouth. Leigh had to battle with herself inwardly to not feel angry at the mere sight of her reflection.

Fists clenched, and trembling slightly, the hairdresser crossed the room, taking her time in the high heels she'd chosen. She wasn't sure she was ready for the reactions of the other clones to see her like this, let alone anything else that was about to go down.

Taking a breath to steady herself, the hairdresser again focused on the soft and slow sound of the violin, allowing it to guide her down the hall and into the living room. Rat sat alone on the sofa in front of her laptop as she played with her eyes closed, and Leigh couldn't help thinking she'd never seen the Swiss clone look so completely at peace in all the months she'd known her.

After a few more minutes, the music trailed off, and the hacker slowly opened her eyes to find Leigh. She'd sensed the other clone's presence before, and she said nothing as she nodded in approval of the dress up. If she didn't know any better, she would have believed Rachel Duncan really stood before her.

Rat put her violin and bow back in their case and set them aside, knowing it was almost time to get to work. Over the last few days, between listening to conversations between Rachel and Daniel and monitoring the trackers, she'd narrowed down three possible places where Aila could be being held. Leigh and Lucas would need to investigate these places upon their arrival, while staying clear of the real Rachel.

“Here,” Rat said after a moment, motioning for Leigh to come closer. She handed the hairdresser a small tan item that almost looked like a hearing aid, as well as microphone to clip onto her collar. “We'll be able to talk through these. Speaking out loud as you would normally will be enough for me to hear you, and you'll be able to hear me the same way. I'll track your progress through the building and will be able to guide you to each of the locations.”

Leigh nodded quietly as she put the item in her ear. It was slightly uncomfortable, but it was a snug fit and wouldn't accidentally fall out as she moved around. She was inwardly grateful that the hacker hadn't said anything out loud about her appearance. It was all she could do to stay calm enough to pass for Rachel even now, and she prayed there wouldn't be any run-ins with anyone who Rachel knew personally.

Katja appeared after a moment then, looking at Leigh with a blank expression. “Are you ready?”

“As I'll ever be,” Leigh muttered quietly, and the others didn't miss the doubtful look on her face before she masked it with a look of determination. It would all be over soon, she reminded herself again and again. This was the last time she'd ever need to be Rachel.

\--

“All clear. Vee are going in.”

Rat nodded at the German man's words as he spoke into the microphone from the DYAD facility in London. The hacker, along with Katja, sat in front of the laptop on the edge of their seats.

Nobody was more anxious than Leigh, who followed a determined Lucas into the entrance of the building. She could feel eyes on her immediately. Most people simply glanced in her direction, sometimes fearfully, often darkly. Others offered a nod in greeting as she and Lucas passed, though Leigh couldn't ignore the fact it was false politeness. It was insane to know how intimidating everyone found Rachel...was Rachel even aware of their _fakeness_ towards her? Did she even care?

“Shit, shit, shit,” Leigh whispered under her breath, earning a concerned glance from Lucas.

“Stay focused,” he urged her. “It is vital.”

“I'm trying – oh shit,” Leigh tried to mutter, but her words came out louder than she intended, for Aldous Leekie had just rounded the corner with some other DYAD people.

“Quit the swearing, Leigh!” Rat's voice said frantically from the earpiece. “You are an emotionless _robot;_ ACT like one!”

Leigh clenched her fists and turned on the spot, eager to escape Leekie before he spotted her. “I know,” she murmured to herself. “Be a robot...be a robot...”

“Ah, Rachel!”

“Oh fuck's sake,” Leigh blurted out again. She could practically hear Rat sighing down the microphone, but that didn't matter. She felt cold with panic at Leekie's voice.

Leigh stiffly turned on the spot while Lucas hurried away out of sight to wait for her; he didn't want to risk attracting Leekie's attention. Leigh inhaled deeply and forced a blank gaze in Leekie's direction.

“ _Yes_ Aldous?”

“I was wondering if you would spare an hour of your time to attend a meeting on Neolution – I believe you could offer your input-”

“I am _busy_ , Aldous,” Leigh told him strictly.

“You've only just got here,” Leekie pointed out. “And Marion Bowles has requested your presence.”

It took great effort on Leigh's part not to frown in utter confusion. Who the _hell_ was Marion Bowles? “Marion will have to wait, Aldous. If she desires my input so desperately, she will wait until later. Do not bother me with this again.”

Leigh turned and strode away, leaving Leekie to stare after her, defeated. Leigh wasn't certain she'd get away with it, but Leekie made no effort to change her mind, convincing her Rachel still managed to get her way with Leekie with certain things. She let out a small sigh of relief when she caught up to Lucas in an otherwise deserted corridor.

“Now you're done prating around, can you please _focus?_ ” Rat's voice spoke again. “You need to check out these specific locations.”

“Go on then,” Leigh agreed. “Where to first?”

“Continue on down the corridor you're in right now, and then take the stairs down one level.”

Leigh took a deep breath and calmly walked, doing her best to ignore everyone as she did. She knew Rachel wouldn't give any of these people a second glance. When she made it to the staircase, she carefully made her way down one level.

“I will _never_ understand how Rachel walks in these fucking shoes...” Leigh muttered, trying hard not to trip.

Lucas could only give her a half smile that looked more like a grimace. The German man knew how uncomfortable Leigh was, but he had to admire her determination at going to these lengths for her friend.

“Hook a left at the bottom of the stairs and walk until I tell you...there, that door,” Rat told her, watching Leigh's progress on her laptop screen.

“It's locked,” Leigh said flatly, just as the keypad seemed to magically input its own code before flashing green.

“You were saying?” Rat said, and Leigh could hear the smugness in her voice.

“Thank you Ratty,” Leigh drawled in a too-sweet voice. She took a breath and opened the door, looking around the room.

“What do you see?” Rat asked.

“Looks like a lab...thing. It's empty. I don't think she's here,” Leigh sighed.

“OK...back out then.”

\--

Almost two hours passed since Leigh and Lucas set foot in the DYAD facility. It was a long walk between each of the spots of interest, and several times between destinations, they were stopped by various employees who wanted to ask Rachel things.

It was nerve-wrecking, but Leigh did her best to channel Rachel and make up various excuses to get them to ask her again later. She didn't think anyone suspected anything yet, but she knew it was only a matter of time before someone noticed she wasn't actually Rachel.

The hallway she'd just entered was in a sub-basement area of the facility, and Leigh shivered at the cold breeze that seemed to blow through the area. There was only one room left to check, and if Aila wasn't in there, they'd be back at square one.

Leigh's high heels made an almost deafening click as she approached the room, pausing when Rat told her to. The hacker again unlocked the door, and Leigh couldn't help but gag at the powerful metallic odour coming forth from the darkness. Reluctantly, the hairdresser walked into the room while Lucas stayed just outside to act as a lookout. The room was small, with only the faintest light coming in from a window which was higher up than she could reach.

Leigh gagged again at the smell of the place and covered her nose and mouth with her hand to stop herself from being sick. Once her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she felt sick for a whole new reason.

Her eyes were wide as a powerful sense of horror she never knew could exist washed over her heart, making her entire body cold and rigid as she trembled. She tried to process if what she was seeing was real.

Before her, lying on a hard bed, was the unmistakable form of a clone. She'd been stripped naked, her face and body covered in gashes and cuts. Some were old and starting to heal, while others were new and dripped blood down onto the stone floor. The clone's hair was extremely long and draped over her very thin frame like a makeshift blanket, most of it stuck together from lying in the clone's blood. Her left arm was loosely wrapped in old bandages and draped off the edge of the bed at an unnatural angle, as if it was broken.

Leigh couldn't help herself and screamed as she stumbled backwards, both hands clasped over her mouth as she stared at the sight, unable to tear her gaze away.

“Leigh! What happened? what's going on?!” Rat asked, startled from the screech.

Leigh couldn't speak, her breath coming in hard and fast gasps. Lucas appeared at her side and froze as he too took in the horrific sight. “Oh heiliger christus allmächtigen!” he gasped in terror.

Leigh's body trembled hard as she forced herself to inch closer to the injured clone. “A-A-Aila?!” she squeaked.

The clone cracked one eye open slowly at the sound of the name, her dull brown gaze finding Leigh. She closed her eye again after a moment and muttered something softly that sounded vaguely like 'Fuck off, Rachel'.

Aila didn't have the energy for dealing with Rachel anymore, her throat raw and her ears still ringing from her own screams. Somehow, she only felt numb, as if the burning pain that should have coursed through her body had been blocked off. She only felt cold. Very, very cold. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she wondered if this was what it was like to be in shock, though no thoughts stayed for long. She didn't have the energy to think. She wanted to be still and sleep.

Shaking, Leigh turned to face Lucas. “Get help!” she demanded in a way that was worthy of Rachel. “Get help so we can get her _out of here –_ they'll get her out if I _tell them to_ -”

“But,” Lucas began, worried at the risk of running into Daniel, or God forbid, the real Rachel.

“DO IT!” Leigh shrieked. Her voice echoed throughout the cell, causing a ringing in everyone's ears.

Lucas offered a brief nod and hurried to find assistance. Leigh turned her attention back to Aila when he left, ignoring the protesting and demanding yells coming from Rat and Katja down the microphone. Without hesitation, Leigh ripped off her jacket to carefully place it over a trembling Aila, who let out a groan of protest as the fabric touched the raw wounds.

Leigh fell to her knees beside her, eyes watering. “ _It's me,_ ” she whispered.

She dared to place a hand on Aila's head, gently stroking her matted hair out of her eyes. She knew from the defeated sigh Aila gave and the way she leaned into the touch that the doctor understood. Aila opened her eyes slowly to gaze at Leigh sadly, grateful for her presence.

Leigh struggled to hold back a strangled sob as she kissed Aila's forehead, barely able to find her voice as she apologised. “I'm _sorry..._ ”

Leigh barely had time to stand up and compose herself at the sound of footsteps hurrying towards the cell greeting her ears. She could hear Lucas muttering something, along with the voices of two other men who had come to help. One of them was pushing a wheelchair into the cell, and the other was carrying large blankets and a dressing gown.

Leigh recognised them as two of the men who had tried to capture them before Rachel helped them escape. She inhaled sharply and drew herself to her full height to address them. “The prisoner has given the information I have requested,” she told them in her most controlled, emotionless voice. “Have her removed from the facility immediately. Do nothing else. Go.”

The men acted immediately, keen to stay in Rachel's good books no matter what. Leigh trembled with fury while they helped Aila from the bed, wrapping her in the dressing gown and putting her in the chair. The doctor managed a weak but desperate glance in Leigh's direction, who did her best to remain unfazed and expressionless while she was wheeled away.

Lucas lingered behind for a moment. “Vee should go too,” he said quickly, urging her to leave the cell. “Quickly – vee can leave out of another exit; make sure vee are not seen-”

He stopped talking abruptly when Leigh shook her head. The hairdresser swallowed hard, focusing momentarily on Rat's voice once again.

“Leigh? LEIGH? Will you tell us what's going on?”

“She-she's getting out, Rat,” Leigh muttered down the microphone. “Lucas will be out in a minute to take her to you.”

“What do you mean Lucas will? What about YOU?” Rat demanded.

Leigh's eyes welled with tears again as she raised a trembling hand up to the earpiece. This was enough. It was over. “Bye, Rat,” Leigh told the hacker sadly.

“Leigh?!” Rat panicked now, and Leigh could vaguely hear Katja yelling something in the background too, but the hairdresser removed the earpiece from her ear. She handed it and the microphone to Lucas.

Lucas looked numb and disturbed at the same time. Leigh didn't like it. “Make sure Aila gets back to Rat and Katja right away.”

“Leigh, _please_ -”

“I can't _do this_ _anymore,_ Lucas.”

Leigh's words silenced him for a moment. She wanted to explain, but anger, sadness, disgust and exhaustion were overwhelming her. Rat, Katja and Aila didn't _need_ her. They were more than capable of finishing what Leigh had started. She would give herself up to DYAD if it meant they'd leave the other clones alone.

Lucas seemed to understand, though it was clear he disapproved. He could only take the earpiece and microphone from Leigh's hand and offer a small nod before going to leave the cell.

The door banged shut behind him. Leigh was left alone in the cell, shaking and breathing steadily to calm herself down. The silence was agonizing. The sight of stale blood stained on the floor was too much.

Leigh collapsed to her knees, threw her face into her hands, and cried.

\--

Rachel was having a bad, and extremely unusual day. First of all, she'd arrived late to work after awaking with a hangover. Consuming large amounts of wine the previous night had seemed like a good idea if it meant blocking out what little guilt the weaker side of herself was feeling, but she was paying for it today.

Then, she'd ran into Daniel, who told her Aila still wasn't talking and would surely die if she had to endure much more of his methods. It led Rachel to wonder what exactly Daniel had done to the doctor, but she quickly pushed the thought from her mind.

All that mattered was Aila was still being difficult, and Rachel _still_ hadn't got what she wanted.

Enraged, Rachel had ordered Daniel out of her office, saying she didn't want to see him again until Aila talked. Her outburst of rage increased her headache tenfold, which seemed to double again when Leekie appeared 'to have words with her'.

“Aldous, what _exactly_ am I supposed to have done this time?” she snapped at him, still thoroughly disgusted and annoyed at the doctor for the secret he'd kept from her all these years. “I am _busy_ , so this conversation is best saved for later.”

“Yes, so you've already told me,” Leekie told her wearily, “but the fact, is Marion is your _boss,_ so commanding that she see you when _you_ say so is completely out of order, Rachel!”

Rachel allowed a frown to appear on her face. She didn't understand. “Marion? I was not aware she was here today.”

Leekie stared at Rachel long and hard. He shook his head in sheer exasperation. “Rachel, you _need_ to get your act together. Your standards have been slipping for _months._ I thought you were making progress with Daniel here to assist you, but you appear to be having a bad day.”

Rachel was too confused and too annoyed to say much else to this, instead assuring Leekie she would be at his office as soon as possible in order to attend the meeting with Marion Bowles.

And then, later on, after deciding she couldn't concentrate on reading through paperwork, Rachel left her office, keen to get the insufferable meeting out of the way as quickly as possible. It was at this moment one of her assistants from the prison ward approached her, pushing an empty wheelchair along the corridor.

“Miss Duncan,” he greeted her with a nod. “It is done.”

Rachel stopped in her tracks. “ _What_ is done?”

“What you requested of us,” the man explained, gesturing at the wheelchair with his head. “We removed her from the facility.”

Rachel's world crashed down around her.

“ _IDIOT!_ ” she screeched at the man, turning on her heel and flying down the corridor, no longer caring about appearing composed and calculated. Her heart hammered in her chest as she navigated through DYAD, ignoring the confused and alarmed looks on the faces of peers as she went.

This was not possible. _How_ was it possible?

Rachel reached Aila's cell after what felt like an hour, head pounding and heart racing in agony. She forced open the door, struggling for a moment, before fully entering the room.

A woman stood with her back to her, staring up at the high window on the wall. She turned around at the sound of Rachel appearing; her face blank, yet _furious_ at the same time.

Rachel's own face.

She couldn't comprehend what she was seeing to start with. Was this a bad dream? Was she even awake?

The other Rachel glowered at her; her make-up smudged around her eyes where angry tears had ruined it. Her hands shook violently. They were covered in blood. _Aila's_ blood.

Rachel felt dizzy. She felt her eyes grow wide as the fake Rachel raised her hands up to her own head. She pulled at her hair, forcing the blonde wig off of herself to reveal short, messy, red hair.

“I'm tired of running,” Leigh spoke in a calm, but dangerous voice. She threw the wig to the ground, lunged at Rachel, and slammed her into the wall. Both twins trembled as Leigh held Rachel in place, her grip tight and painful. “Now it's your turn.”


	32. Chapter 31

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Apologies for the lateness of this upload, I am terrible for forgetting to upload on time .____.

Leigh allowed her hand to travel up to Rachel's neck. Her anger was threatening to take over her completely; she failed to stop herself gripping her twin's throat, applying more and more pressure. She had never seen such fear in Rachel's eyes. The blonde clone grabbed Leigh's hand with her own, forcing all her strength against Leigh to make her move. Leigh gritted her teeth hard when Rachel began to choke, and suddenly, both twins were overcome by tears. Leigh cried out in frustration, let go of Rachel at last, but pulled back her fist as if wanting to hit her.

Rachel flinched at the sudden movement, unable to move with Leigh still pressing her up against the wall. Sickened with herself, Leigh slammed her fist into the wall besides Rachel's face instead, punching it again and again until she felt her bones shatter. It was then that her strength left her. Leigh felt her knees buckle under her own weight, ready to fall to the floor as she cried out in defeat...but Rachel caught her. She held Leigh tightly against her as they sank to the stone floor, ignoring her angry shouts of protest.

“You evil BITCH!” Leigh shouted. “Let go...LET _GO!_ ”

Rachel only tightened her grip; tears staining her face. Leigh struggled in her grasp, her broken hand useless in aiding her escape. She instead raised her other hand to Rachel's head, gripping at her hair and pulling hard until it caused the blonde clone to scream out in pain.

Rachel let go of her sister at last, looking hurt and horrified that Leigh would do such a thing. She rubbed the back of her own head in an attempt to soothe the pain, while staring Leigh. Both clones remained on the ground, shaking in shock and anger and fear. Leigh looked completely feral.

“You _psycho_...” Leigh said under her breath as she forced herself to stand up.

Rachel backed away in fear as Leigh stood over her. She had never felt so much like a scared child. “Don't,” she pleaded, though she wasn't sure herself what she was asking of her sister.

“What the hell were you THINKING?!” Leigh bellowed again now, looming over Rachel as she drew nearer and nearer.

“ _Don't,_ ” Rachel said again, but Leigh was beyond reasoning with.

The hairdresser ran at Rachel, grabbed her by the collar and forced her up to drag her across the room, momentarily ignoring the pain in her hand. She was angry; angry at Rachel for causing Aila such harm; angry at Aila for putting up with it for so long, and angry at herself for letting things get this bad...for not seeing Rachel for what she really was...

And yet, Leigh couldn't find the words to express all of this. She forced Rachel back to the ground near the bed, where the massive blood stains lay.

“WHAT HAVE YOU _DONE?!_ ” Leigh shrieked.

Rachel's head hurt so much she thought it might split open, and she had had just about enough of this frightening and disturbing behaviour. She sat up straight and pushed Leigh away from her in one sharp movement, unable and unwilling to be treated in such a way. This had all been for _Leigh,_ and Leigh needed to _understand_ that.

“I DIDN'T HAVE A CHOICE!” Rachel fought back now, rounding on Leigh and unleashing the full extent of her insecurities. “YOU SHOULD HAVE _TOLD_ ME! YOU SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME WHEN YOU HAD THE _CHANCE!_ ”

Leigh threw herself at Rachel again, anger transforming her completely, but Rachel was ready this time. She seized Leigh by the wrists and wrestled her back to the ground. The hairdresser sobbed painfully. How could Rachel imply this was _her_ fault?

Rachel forced Leigh back into her arms, her grip stronger than ever. Leigh still struggled, but she was going nowhere. “I'm SORRY,” Rachel told her.

“ _SORRY?!_ ” Leigh shouted back through her tears. “You almost had someone KILLED! And for WHAT?!”

“I-I didn't know!" Rachel said desperately. “I didn't...I-I...”

“You didn't _KNOW?!_ _BULLSHIT_ YOU DIDN'T KNOW!” Leigh screeched, her eyes wide and feral with rage as she somehow found the strength to break away and force Rachel to turn around and look again at the amount of blood on the floor. “How could you have _NOT KNOWN?!_ ”

“I wanted information! That's all! D-Daniel he...h-he...I left him in charge, but I THOUGHT she'd _BREAK!_ I didn't know it had gotten this bad!” Rachel said, shrinking back again from both the sight of the blood and the sight of Leigh's enraged eyes.

Leigh couldn't believe what she was hearing. Rachel's words fuelled her fire; her rage like an inferno threatening to consume them both. “You _SERIOUSLY_ live in such a PERFECT _FUCKING_ BUBBLE that you don't even BOTHER to CHECK what your SICK little minions are doing _RIGHT UNDER YOUR NOSE?!_ ” she screamed, again lunging at Rachel to pin her to the wall by her throat.

Rachel gasped and tried to pry Leigh's hand away, before Leigh stepped back and allowed the blonde to fall to the ground. Rachel coughed as her breathing evened out, before she bursting into sobs. Leigh stared down at her with rage mixed with shock, disgust, and even pity.

“Get up,” Leigh hissed. Rachel stared up at her twin with wide eyes, not moving from her current position. “GET _UP!_ ” Leigh shouted, her eyes growing wild again, making Rachel scramble to her feet as she stared at her sister fearfully.

Leigh glared at Rachel hard. “We're going for a walk. I'm sure Leekie will be interested to hear exactly what you've been up to,” she said lowly. The sudden fear in Rachel's gaze told her Leekie didn't know Rachel had been keeping someone prisoner, or at least didn't know all the details.

Leigh knew that revealing herself to Leekie would ensure she didn't leave DYAD, but she held true to what she told Lucas. She was done running. The others could go to Canada without her.

\--

Rat and Katja sat together in numb silence for a long while. Rat had attempted to communicate with Lucas, but he seemed too distracted with the task at hand to say much. Angry tears welled in Rat's eyes, but she fought with herself to stop them falling. Neither herself nor Katja had moved from the table since Leigh last spoke to them.

“Leigh's coming back,” Katja muttered some time later, looking to her sister for reassurance. “Right?”

Rat said nothing. It made Katja squirm uncomfortably as they both waited in anticipation for their fears to be confirmed.

“Hallo? _Hallo?_ ” Lucas could be heard suddenly.

Rat flinched in her seat at the sudden sound and sat up straight. “Lucas? Yes?” she asked eagerly into the microphone.

“Vee are almost back – Aila... she ez in a _bad_ vay – urgent medical attention vill be needed-”

“Mien Gott,” Katja whispered in horror. She dreaded to think what Aila had been put through.

Rat grit her teeth and knew what they had to do, even though she didn't like it. She picked up her phone quickly and dialled Eliza's cellphone, having gotten her number in case they did need a doctor for Aila.

“Hello?” the older woman answered on the first ring.

“Lucas isn't back here yet, but he says we need urgent medical help. How fast can you get over here?” Rat asked, getting right to the point.

“One step ahead of you, honey. Your father stayed home today and prepared an area in our home lab for a medical patient. We guessed your friend might need help. I'll call Lucas and have him bring her there,” Eliza said. She gave Rat the address.

Rat nodded numbly, reluctantly grateful for her mother's forethought. She thanked Eliza and hung up the phone before glancing at Katja. “We need to grab everyone's things and relocate to my parents' house. They have the equipment to take care of Aila...God, I'm afraid to see the state of her...” she admitted quietly.

“Me too, schwester,” Katja agreed, reluctantly standing to begin gathering everything up. The sisters tossed the clones' personal belongings into various bags and the suitcase, even Leigh's things, before Rat called the dogs to her and attached their leashes.

The journey to the house was made in silence, both clones wrapped up in their thoughts of Leigh and Aila. Was Leigh _really_ leaving them after everything they'd been through together?

The place Eliza told them to go to took nearly an hour to reach through public transportation. It was located in a sheltered wooded area on the outskirts of the city. The house was a fairly large, and old-looking.

“This looks like the house I grew up in back in Geneva,” Rat murmured quietly.

The clones made their way up to the door, seeing Lucas's car in the driveway already. Rat knocked loudly, having to wait only a few minutes before an older man with graying hair and glasses answered. Neal Colbert ushered the two inside quickly, closing the door behind them.

“How is she?” Rat asked quietly, looking up at her father as she removed the dogs' leashes and allowed them to roam as they pleased through the house. Charles looked up at Neal, seeming to remember him as his tail wagged back and forth.

Neal looked at Rat and Katja. “I believe she'll live. I just finished cleaning and stitching up the worst of her wounds, and started her on IV pain medications and antibiotics for the few that had started to become infected. She needed fluids badly. When she wakes up, we'll determine if she can eat by herself or if she'll need a feeding tube,” he said as he led the two through the house and into a sterile area. It looked every bit like a DYAD laboratory.

Rat nodded. “Is Ian around?”

“No, he's at a camp for another week or so,” Neal told her as he led the clones into the back area of the lab.

“Good,” Rat said quietly.

“Who ez Ian?” Katja asked.

“My little brother,” Rat explained. She didn't want Ian to be around to witness all of this.

In the far corner of the room was a soft hospital bed, where the Scottish clone lay. Bandages covered most of Aila's visible skin, and her hair was matted with dried blood. She was pale and looked far thinner than Rat and Katja remembered. Her arm was back in a sling again. The bed was surrounded by various machines monitoring the doctor's vital signs. Lucas was sitting beside the sleeping clone, but he raised his head and offered a weak smile to his daughters as they slowly approached.

“My God,” Rat whispered, shocked. “What the hell did they _do_ to her?!”

Lucas sighed and reluctantly described the way he and Leigh found Aila, and the events that unfolded afterwards. The two sisters were sickened by what happened.

Katja was the first to approach Aila. She sat down at her side, carefully taking the doctor by the hand as she slept. A burning anger grew within Katja for everything that had ever happened. This needed to have an end put to it.

Rat watched her sister with Aila for a while before turning her attention back to Lucas. The German man looked solemn, but Rat swallowed her pride as she addressed him. “Thank you,” she told him. “For all you've done.”

Lucas was surprised, and it took a few seconds for him to respond. He stood from his seat, gently reached out a hand to pat the hacker on the shoulder, and nodded in acknowledgement. Then, he walked away to allow the clones some space.

Rat watched him go before joining her sister at Aila's side. She placed an arm around Katja as she stood behind her, and Katja remained sitting by the bed, holding onto Aila. Rat wanted to be angry. She wanted to demand they go back and get Leigh; shout and insult the hairdresser for even considering ditching them like this...but was there much point?

Rat let out a sigh of resignation. Four had become three.

\--

A few hours passed since Rat and Katja arrived at Eliza and Neal's house. The sisters hadn't left Aila's side all day, both eager for her to wake up. Neal and Lucas left the clones alone for the most part, giving them the space to process everything that'd happened that morning.

“I cannot believe Leigh would just leave without saying anything...” Katja mumbled as she leaned against Rat for comfort.

Rat nodded, hugging Katja as she did. She didn't want to admit it, but she missed Leigh as well. It never really occurred to her before now how much the hairdresser had come to mean to her as a friend.

“She'll be OK,” Rat assured Katja, though she wasn't sure she believed her own words.

Katja blinked and sat up straight when she noticed Aila starting to stir. The doctor let out a low groan and opened her eyes slowly. Her eyes found Rat and Katja and she stared at them, looking confused and out of it.

“Where am I?” she asked, her voice hoarse and quiet.

“Somewhere safe,” Katja said, reaching out to hold Aila's hand tightly again.

“I'll go get Dad,” Rat insisted as she stood and left the room.

Aila watched her go, looking to Katja for some type of explanation. “Dad?”

“Ja, vee are at Ratty's parents' house,” Katja explained. “Vee vill explain...much has happened since you have been avay.”

Aila closed her eyes again as she tried to remember what happened. She recalled seeing Rachel in her cell, only to find out it was really Leigh, but she passed out shortly thereafter when the pain suddenly hit her all at once.

Leigh?

“Where is Leigh?” Aila asked, suddenly looking very alert as she stared at Katja with wide eyes.

Katja flinched and looked down at their hands, looking defeated. “She's...she's not coming back...she vanted to stay at DYAD...”

Aila stared at the German as this information sank in, suddenly feeling a rush of anger towards the hairdresser. She'd put up with what she did because she wanted to protect Leigh, and now it seemed like she did it for no reason at all. Aila leaned back again, and when Katja looked up, she was taken aback by the dark anger that had settled in Aila's eyes.

“ _Fuck her_ then,” Aila muttered coldly, looking entirely unlike herself as she closed her eyes tightly.

“You do not mean that...” Katja said. She was shocked at the doctor's words.

“I _do._ We'll go to Canada without her.”

Katja felt very disturbed to see Aila this way, inwardly convincing herself she was just acting so cold because she'd been tortured. Anyone would be cold and dark after putting up with what Aila had for as long as she did.

Rat returned with Neal then. As the older man looked over Aila's wounds and started asking her questions, Katja pulled Rat off to the side, frowning.

“Vee must keep close eye on doctor...” she murmured before explaining what had happened just before.

Rat blinked, surprised as Katja was at the way Aila had reacted, though she sighed after a minute. “Can't really blame her for being angry, Katja...after what she went through especially...let's just give her time and hope she comes around.”

\--

Aldous Leekie sat at a large table in a dark, isolated meeting room with two clones either side of him. Rachel sat to his left, while Leigh took the seat to his right. The hairdresser had forced Rachel to approach Leekie to explain what had happened, and Leekie was so shocked at Leigh's return that he cancelled all plans for the day to tend to the situation.

He was not happy.

It was disturbing to see both clones so shaken, particularly Rachel. He could not get his head around what she had done.

“Rachel,” he addressed her, his voice grave, but echoing. “How could you inflict _torture_ on one of our subjects?”

Rachel's eyes grew dark. Leigh kept her gaze on her sister, daring her to try and defend what she had done. “You _seriously_ didn't know?” Leigh shot at Leekie.

Leekie held his hand up to silence Leigh, never once tearing his stare from Rachel. It was clear he was just as unhappy with Leigh as he was with Rachel.

Rachel eventually parted her lips ever so slightly, but remained completely still otherwise. She looked unreal. Unnatural. “I did what was necessary.”

Leigh shook with fury, but her throat hurt from all the shouting she'd already done. She kept quiet, resisting the urge to thump the table below her.

“It has _never_ been necessary to cause such _harm-_ ” Leekie began, but he was interrupted by Rachel standing up so fast that her chair flew back across the room. The proclone slammed both hands down on the table.

“ _YOU_ can't talk! You have done WORSE things, Aldous; _don't_ forget that! You _said_ you wanted me to bring Ashleigh home, and that's exactly what I DID! And may I remind you that _I_ am higher up in this company than YOU are, Aldous, so STOP questioning MY authority!”

Ringing silence filled the room as Rachel's echoing shouts faded to nothingness. Leigh was beyond disturbed to see Rachel losing it in such a way; to see her justifying her decisions to be so cruel. It bothered her even more that Leekie peered up at Rachel curiously, looking quite defeated.

Rachel took a moment to talk calmness into herself. She stood up straight and breathed deeply, her face turning blank once more. “Aila did not _die._ She will be cared for; I am sure of it.”

“She NEARLY died though!” Leigh shouted now, anger getting the better of her again. “You make me SICK! How can you brush this off like it's NOTHING?”

Rachel's eyes found Leigh's. She was sick to death of having to explain herself; of Leigh failing to understand and being so unwilling to let it go.

“Ashleigh, we need to put this behind us now,” Leekie grumbled, turning to face the hairdresser. He wore a dark scowl as he watched her. “You are _not_ in a fit enough state to discuss what we expect of you, so you will go to the hospital wing for the time being until you have _calmed down_. Then we can decide how you can make up for the chaos you've created.”

Leigh shot up from the table, eager to get as far away as possible. It would be so easy to shout at Leekie too, but why should she give him that satisfaction? Why should she give it to Rachel anymore, either? She hurried to leave the room and find the hospital. Her broken hand burned in agony, making her feel sick and dizzy as she focused on it. She knew it needed immediate treatment.

“ _I_ will take her,” Rachel assured Leekie. “We will continue this discussion later.”

Leekie watched, exasperated, as the twins left the room, and Rachel escorted Leigh through the building. Both women remained quiet until they reached the hospital wing, where Rachel stepped in front of Leigh to get her attention.

Leigh glared at her.

“You _need_ to co-operate,” Rachel warned her, a cold calmness in her voice. “It's the only way to ensure the safety of the other subjects now.”

Leigh's sick feeling doubled at these words. She shook her head defiantly. DYAD was NOT going to continue hunting the other clones she'd been on the run with. She would convince them they weren't a threat.

“No,” she told Rachel in a rough voice, threatening to shout again. “NO. It's ME you wanted, and I'm HERE! So you're gonna stop ALL of this!”

Rachel faltered for a moment. Then, she nodded, and was unable to resist stepping forward to wrap her arms tightly around Leigh, who felt a wave of revulsion hit her. “Yes,” Rachel whispered. “It's you I wanted.”

Leigh shoved her away after another moment or two. “Just answer me something,” she said carefully. “If you wanted me so badly, why didn't you come to France to meet me yourself? You must have _known_ I'd be visiting Aila in the hospital, so _why_ go to such fucked up lengths?”

Rachel stared. She opened her mouth slightly, but no sound came out. Leigh could almost feel the blank numbness circulating in Rachel's brain at this question, and she shook her head in disbelief.

“You don't even _know_ , do you?” she shot in disgust.

Of course Rachel didn't know. It was all about control with her. It was the only way she knew how to be. She reached out to brush Leigh's cheek with her hand, but the hairdresser hit her away forcefully.

“ _Fuck you,_ Rachel,” she said with pure venom.

Rachel could only watch sadly as her sister marched through the wing.

\--

“Oh holy fucking shit, are you _serious?!_ ”

“Ja,” Katja nodded, looking down at Beth on her laptop.

A few days had passed since the clones arrived at Rat's parents' house. Night had already set in, and most everyone else was asleep already, but Katja was restless.

After aimlessly walking around the house for the better part of an hour, she'd decided to get on her laptop to contact Beth for what felt like the thirtieth time in the past week. She didn't know why the detective had been stubbornly refusing contact, but they needed to update her on what had happened. After another half an hour, Beth finally gave Katja a call.

The detective didn't look good. She was pale and had dark circles around her eyes. Her hair was disheveled and her eyes were bloodshot, though Katja couldn't tell if this was due to insomnia or alcohol consumption (several empty bottles could be seen in the background).

Beth sighed, rubbing her eyes. “Fuck...I'm glad she's gonna be OK, but _damn_...those DYAD bastards are sick for actually _torturing_ her. Guess this means _more_ delays in when you lot are gonna haul ass over here.”

Katja sighed, looking down at her hands. “Perhaps not...” she said. “I have been zinking...vat if I find a vay to bring Helena and zee samples to you at zee same time? Vould you be able to take Helena down if you knew she vas coming?"

“I'm still suspended,” Beth said dryly. “But if she tried to attack me directly, you're damn right I'd take her ass down. What've you got in mind?”

“Vell...it vill be many veeks until Aila is vell enough to travel...she tried to valk earlier and cannot hold her own veight yet; she is still in too much pain. Eliza zinks she may even need a bit of physical zerapy before she'll be able to valk by herself again...so...” she trailed off guiltily. “I zink it might be best to come to you by myself to deliver zee samples...”

Beth stared at her. “Rat and Aila are OK with that?”

Katja said nothing.

“Holy shit...they don't know, do they?”

“Please do not tell zem...look, I vould rather lead Helena to you vith zee hope of capturing her zan stay here vere ve vill be sitting ducks for who knows how long. Zee vorst zey can do is yell at me later, right?” she said, not sure if she was trying to convince Beth or herself. “And also...I need to see your scientist friend, Beth...I hate to admit it, but I do not zink I vill last much longer vith zis illness...I cannot put off meeting her any longer...”

Beth's gaze softened slightly. “Damn...so when are you planning on coming?”

“Soon. I vill find a vay to make sure Helena chases me and zen vee can plan ven exactly to meet up and decide how to capture her.”

Beth could only stare at Katja through the screen. Katja was trying to look and sound unconcerned, but her tiredness betrayed her. “I don't know if you're up to this, Katja. Going it alone.”

Katja glared up at Beth. “I don't zink you are eizer, Beth.”

Beth wavered. She and Katja watched each other numbly through their cameras. “Promise me you'll be careful,” Beth said quietly.

If she was truthful, Beth needed someone with her. It would be good to meet Katja. She was close to Alison, but the Suburban clone wanted as little to do with all of this as possible. Her negativity and panicked state of mind did little to lift Beth's spirits, especially as of late.

“I alvays am,” Kaja assured her. “I vill get back to you as soon as I can. In the meantime...just...sit tight, Beth.”

Beth said nothing. She had had enough of sitting tight and waiting...but how hard could it be to wait just a little longer?

\--

Leigh hadn't slept properly in days. She'd been made to stay in the hospital wing at DYAD, having agreed to let the doctors perform the usual medical examinations on her that she'd been used to her entire life before starting her journey...it was surreal sitting through all of this again. She found it disgusting, and she didn't understand why they needed to do more tests, exactly, but she found herself not caring much anyway.

She wanted to go back to her house, but she knew it was hopeless to even consider it for the time being. There was no way Leekie was going to trust her until they reached some sort of agreement.

Leigh now sat in the same meeting room with Leekie and Rachel they'd been in the day of Leigh's return. It felt like an awful deja vu moment.

“I want to go _home,_ ” Leigh told them bluntly.

Leekie hesitated before responding. He gripped his hands tightly together across the desk, while Rachel's stare burned into her sister. Leigh refused to look at her, focusing on Leekie instead.

“Understand that we want things to return to the way they were before you left London,” Leekie spoke quietly. “But you _have_ caused a lot of damage. You can't possibly know the full extent of it. You should be facing serious consequences.”

Leigh grinned coldly. “What, like Aila did?”

Rachel twitched at this comment, and Leigh saw it out the corner of her eye. She resisted the urge to glance in Rachel's direction.

“Ashleigh, I stand by the offer I made when I saw you in Switzerland,” Leekie assured her. “We _can_ compromise. But it means you have to give us certain information.”

Leigh shook her head. “I'm not telling you shit about the others,” she said instantly. “Because I _can't_. I don't know _where_ they are and I don't know _what_ they're planning to do next. Last time I saw them, we were in France. I left them to come here, _alone._ It _was_ me you wanted. Not them.”

Leekie looked vaguely annoyed. “They run the risk of jeopardizing the experiment more than you already have,” he explained as calmly as possible.

“By making other clones self-aware?” Leigh guessed, eyebrows raised. “No. Why can't you _leave them be?_ I'm gonna co-operate, but I'm not gonna help you hunt down my sisters.”

Underneath the table, Rachel clenched her fists tightly together at Leigh's words. It irked her greatly she could consider these people her sisters.

“Explain,” Leekie urged the hairdresser.

Leigh leaned forward in her seat. “I know who the killer is. I know who she's working for. When I tell you who she is, you'll be wanting to bring her here instead.”

It seemed Leigh had succeeded in gaining the curiosity of both Leekie and Rachel, for they both stared at her for a long while, intrigued.

“Tell us,” Rachel urged her.

Leigh allowed herself a glance at Rachel before looking back at Leekie. “Her name's Helena. She's a religious extremist. A Prolethean. And here's the best part...she's one of _us._ ”

Leigh looked back at Rachel, keeping her gaze steadily on her now. She heard Leekie force a laugh from beside her.

“That's not possible,” he said.

“Isn't it?” Leigh challenged him. She turned to face him, eyebrows raised. “You separated me from my sister because a woman named Amelia disappeared; the woman who was supposed to give her child up to the Duncans. You _never_ learned what became of that child. Isn't it a possibility that Helena _is_ that child?”

“That doesn't add up,” Leekie said, shaking his head. He'd had people spying on the Proletheans for _years_. Something like this wouldn't have gone unreported.

“Well do your research, because it's the truth,” Leigh shot at him. “Track down Helena and stop _her_ instead of my friends. They'll have _no_ reason to meet other clones and alert them to the dangers then, will they? This was never about ruining your experiments! It was about saving lives, and with Helena out of the picture-”

“There's still the issue of the illness though,” Leekie growled, losing his cool now. “I am fully aware they will still go to great lengths to tackle this illness; to save lives, as you put it – and that _still_ means meeting other subjects. I _cannot_ allow that to happen, Ashleigh. Your claims of this Helena character may or may not be true, but even if it is proven, it doesn't change a thing. So I'm going to ask you something, and I expect you to consider your answer _very_ carefully.” Leekie held Leigh's gaze, pausing to allow this subtle warning to sink in. “Are you going to co-operate, or not?”

Leigh stared at him. She could feel Rachel watching her, almost pleading silently for Leigh to do as she was told...but the hairdresser wasn't giving up that easily. She'd made it this far disobeying DYAD's orders. If Rachel could get away with bending them to her will; with demanding and insulting and _defying_ to get her way, then Leigh could too.

They were _sisters,_ after all.

\--

Katja sighed, steeling herself up for what she was about to do. She reminded herself why she had to do this, but that didn't make her feel less guilty about doing it. The German woman again checked that nobody else was awake before pulling up Janika's Skype window and sending a message to Helena.

_'Call me. We end this now.'_

She leaned back in her chair to wait, and thankfully, she didn't need to wait for very long. Helena called her twenty minutes later. The blonde clone seemed to be eating something out of a plastic tub.

“Vee end zis now? Have you decided to accept your fate and die zen, Katja?” Helena asked with a lopsided grin as she ate, twisting a fork around in front of the camera.

“In a vay,” Katja said coolly, willing her voice to stay steady. “I vish to issue you a challenge. A game, I suppose. I vant you to catch me. If you do, you may kill me. Zee only rule is you cannot kill anyone else until you kill me.”

Helena giggled. “Why vould I vant to agree to something like zat ven I could just kill all of you togezer?”

“Are you saying you can't do it?”

Helena stared for a moment before looking down at whatever she was eating. “You really vant to die so badly that you vant me to find you and kill you?” she asked, seemingly confused.

Katja nodded. “If you can catch me, you vill vin zee game. If you cannot, zen you have failed your God anyvay,” she said, trying to provoke Helena as much as possible. “I vill even give you a tip, since I do not zink you vill be able to catch me. I am leaving from London zis very night.”

Helena glared at her for these words. “I vill _not_ fail God. I am the original, I am the light,” she hissed lowly. “I accept your challenge, Katja. I hope you vill enjoy yourself in hell.”

With that, the call ended. Katja released a long shuttering breath. There was no going back now. The German shut down her laptop and packed it away in her bag, before silently going around the house and gathering up her things.

She sighed, knowing there was something else she needed to do before she left. Walking into the bedroom she'd been sharing with Rat, she silently took her sister's laptop and brought it out to the kitchen table.

After again making sure she hadn't woken anyone up, the German used Rat's laptop to record a video message for the other clones to find in the morning. When she was satisfied with it, Katja left the laptop on the table and walked back into the bedroom. She sighed sadly as she saw her sister's sleeping form, silently approaching her to kneel beside her.

She leaned down and kissed Rat's forehead. “ _Please_ forgive me. I promise vee vill be back togezer soon... _I love you, Regina._ ”

Katja debated saying goodbye to Aila as well, but she knew the doctor was often a light sleeper if she wasn't completely exhausted, and so she said a silent goodbye to her instead.

Katja checked she had everything and left the house before she lost her nerve.

\--

The house would have been silent if it wasn't for the sound of Bianca scurrying through the hallway to scratch at Rat's bedroom door. The small dog managed to push it open with her paw, whining loudly to get her owner's attention. She nudged Rat's hand with her nose and gave a sharp yap.

Rat groaned. The blurry form of Bianca came into view as she opened her eyes and forced herself to sit up. The dog wagged her tail excitedly, eager to get out of the house as she always did in the mornings.

“OK,” Rat told her tiredly. The hacker swung her legs off the bed and stood up, yawning, before grabbing her jacket and lazily stepping into a pair of shoes. “Come on then. Let's find Charles too.”

Rat couldn't help glancing into Aila's room as she passed, wondering if the doctor had managed to rest. She was amused and slightly touched to see Charles curled up at the end of Aila's bed, watching her carefully. Aila appeared to be fast asleep.

“Come on, Charles,” Rat urged the dog quietly. “She'll be OK – come on baby-”

The old dog took his time climbing down from the bed and wandering over to Rat.

The morning air was crisp and sharp with coldness. Rat barely paid attention as the dogs went about their business, instead gazing absently into space as she willed herself to wake up. She then served the dogs fresh water in their bowls upon entering the kitchen, watching for a moment as they happily lapped it up.

Rat made her way back the bedroom then, thinking she could use another half an hour or so to relax. She absently picked up her laptop off the kitchen table and took it back with her, glancing at Katja's bed when she did.

But wait.

Where was Katja? And Rat hadn't left her laptop on the kitchen table the night before...had she? Did she move it again and then forget?

Frowning, Rat set the laptop down on her bed and reached for her phone. Katja hadn't sent any messages. Rat wondered if she'd gone out for some air...but even so, she didn't like her sister going off alone in her condition.

Rat looked up from her phone and slowly noticed items missing from the room, along with Katja's bag. The hacker suddenly found herself very much awake as a sense of panic gripped her heart.

Rat called Katja's number, holding the phone to her ear as she paced around the room.

_'The number you have dialled is out of service.'_

Rat froze upon hearing these words from the phone. Her heart stopped for a moment. She was unable to stop the paranoia and panic from consuming her. Had someone taken Katja from them in the night? Rat immediately checked her arms over in the light for any sign of needle marks that might indicate DYAD's presence in their room the night before.

She remembered then that her parents and Lucas were all still DYAD employees as well. They didn't have anything to do with Katja's disappearance, did they? Had Rat become too lax in her guard? Was she wrong to trust them after all?

Sitting on her bed, the hacker opened her laptop, and immediately noticed a video file had been left on the desktop. She knew for certain he hadn't left anything of the sort open, and she was almost afraid to see what the video would tell her.

What she didn't expect was to see Katja alone in the kitchen, looking down at the camera with a tired expression.

“ _Hallo. If you are seeing zis, zen I have already left. Do not attempt to follow or contact me. I vill make contact vith you all again ven zis is over. I have made plans and arrangements to capture Helena once and for all. Vee could not vait until doctor vas better. Time vas running out, and staying still vould have made us all targets...”_

“Wait, _what_?!” Rat whimpered, dumbfounded as she continued to watch the video clip.

“ _I know you all vill be angry at me, and I promise you can yell at me all you vish ven vee meet back up again. Aila, please do your best to recover, and please try not to stay angry forever. Vee need your light more than ever now. Ratty...I am sorry. I hope you can forgive me for leaving you behind, but you must stay strong and stay vith Aila for now. You both need each ozer to make it zrough zis. Vee vill be back togezer soon. I promise. Please give my zanks to Lucas and your parents for helping us. Vee vouldn't have lasted vithout zem. I love you all so much. I look forward to returning to you as soon as I can. Until zen, Rat especially, keep believing zee future is still bright. Goodbye.”_

The video cut off then, and Rat could only stare in blank shock as she tried to process what she just saw. Katja actually left them to hunt down Helena _by herself?_ In her _condition?_ Did she not realise how _stupid_ and _dangerous_ and _reckless_ that was?!

“DAMNIT!” Rat screamed as raw hurt and anger settled over her heart. The hacker slammed down the lid of her laptop, not caring about causing it damage. She gave into the urge to sob, ignoring the dogs who had come to see what all the noise was about.

“Rat?”

It was a distant, but urgent voice, coming from the room next door. It told Rat that Aila was awake, and it reminded her there was nothing she could do to bring Katja back. Aila couldn't be left alone...

Rat shot up and bolted from the room, arms shaking as she carried the laptop with her. Wild thoughts consumed her; she could talk to Lucas, or even her parents, get them to stay with Aila, or get them to go after Katja-

“Rat?” Aila said again when the hacker entered the room.

She was looking very concerned. It hurt Rat that she could even consider leaving the doctor behind; that Katja herself had left them both. That _Leigh_ had left them as well.

Rat rushed to Aila, throwing her arms around her and sobbing deeply. Stunned, and confused, the doctor tried to return the gesture, ignoring the stinging pain it caused her injuries. She had never seen Rat like this. What on earth had happened?

In the moment, Rat didn't care. She and Aila were alone now, and Rat couldn't risk leaving her and splitting up their group completely.

\--

Aila was stunned to learn Katja was no longer with them. She even seemed angry. How could she disappear like that so soon after Leigh ditched them? Had they both lost their minds?

The doctor watched Katja's message on the laptop over and over again while Rat repeatedly tried to call the German. She knew it was hopeless, but it was becoming habit quickly.

After some time, Rat threw her phone against the wall in defeat and sighed heavily, shaking as she tried hard to get a grip and deal with it. Katja was gone, Leigh was gone, and Aila was still very much injured. As much as it pained her, Rat knew she had to get herself together and take charge now.

The hacker sighed softly and shifted up to sit beside Aila on the bed, gently coaxing the laptop away from the doctor, who only seemed to grow angrier and angrier every time she watched the video.

“I'm gonna try to get hold of Beth and let her know what's going on...” Rat muttered quietly. She left Beth yet another message she hoped sounded urgent enough that the detective wouldn't ignore it.

Aila made a vague sound of acknowledgment as she eased herself down into a lying position with her back to the Swiss woman. She closed her eyes tightly as grief and anger melded together to create a sickening new emotion she couldn't even name.

She was angry at Leigh for making her endurance of DYAD's torture be _completely_ in vain. The residual anguish from the experience made her feel as if the hairdresser had inflicted even deeper wounds herself with her actions. As irrational as Aila knew it was, she couldn't deny she felt betrayed and abandoned by the one clone she had thought was her closest friend.

She was angry at Katja as well for suddenly deciding she couldn't be bothered staying, and abandoning them _both_ in order to make some last ditch effort at hunting down a killer Aila was sure nobody could capture alone. She said that she didn't want to leave Rat alone in the world again, so why would she take such a massive risk? Katja was going to end up getting herself killed. Aila was almost sure of it. If she didn't, she'd be the luckiest clone in the world.

In Aila's mind, Leigh and Katja were as bad as the countless families she'd grown up with. They had both made her feel safe and worth the effort, only to then leave her out in the cold. It wasn't fair. Leigh had told her once that she had a family now, and Aila wholeheartedly believed her...but now she wasn't so sure anymore.

Suddenly, Aila was pulled away from her ever-darkening thoughts by the sound of a sharp gasp from Rat. The doctor glanced up over her shoulder, taking in the hacker's pale face. She looked shocked, broken, defeated, and horrified all at once as fresh tears made their way down her face, though she didn't seem to notice them as her eyes stayed locked on whatever was on her computer screen.

Aila immediately felt selfish for allowing self-centered thoughts to consume her. Of course she still had part of this makeshift family left. She still had Rat, and she knew they needed to stay together no matter what now.

Katja was right. They needed each other in order to survive. They still had a mission to complete, and even without the others, they needed to keep looking forward.

“What?” Aila asked, trying to sit up even as her body protested moving. The sharp pain made her tremble with the effort to see what Rat was looking at. She was surprised to see Leigh's photograph on the screen along with DYAD's logo – Leigh's file. The sight of it made another pang of raw anger pulsate through Aila.

Looking to Rat for some type of explanation, she watched as the hacker numbly raised her hand to point to something written among the text beside the photograph.

Aila read the word, and suddenly all the anger she'd felt up until that moment vanished into nothingness as a sense of complete detachment came over her. In that moment, she didn't feel angry, or betrayed, or abandoned anymore. She didn't feel anything at _all_.

She read the word again and again, but somehow she stopped comprehending it as she stared at Rat in blank shock. Rat turned her head to stare back at her, the same look mirrored on her face.

“Aila...Leigh's _dead_.”

On the other side of the city, in her office at DYAD, Rachel Duncan also looked at Leigh's file with tears in her eyes.


	33. Epilogue

Katja was tired. Her journey to Canada had been a massive struggle, causing her both worry and pain as she traveled alone. She couldn't help constantly looking over her shoulder and hurrying from place to place in case Helena really was close behind, and it took its toll on her physically. She hated having to stop to catch her breath and cough up blood. It was harder than she thought to not have her sister there to help her recover from her attacks.

Beth was proving difficult to get hold of. Katja decided to call her again from the airport before her flight, and the cop had ignored the call. Katja sent her a text instead.

' _On my way. Will contact you when I'm there._ '

The German had already looked into hotels and found a reasonably priced one to check into once she arrived in Canada. The flight was long and uncomfortable, but all Katja could think about was meeting Beth. In a few hours, Beth would meet her at the airport, and they could start to move on from all of this.

Katja found herself to be waiting for a long time after getting off the plane.

' _Have arrived,_ ' she sent to Beth as soon as she was able to. The German then took to wandering around, scanning the crowd for the all too familiar face for a sign of Beth...agitated, Katja called the number and held her phone to her ear.

Beth did not answer.

' _Must see you,_ ' Katja sent instead. This was getting ridiculous. Beth _told_ her she'd be here, so where was she?

It soon dawned on Katja that Beth wasn't coming, and after attempting to call again, she knew she couldn't waste time waiting. Katja left the airport quickly to make her way to the hotel, sticking to the shadows to avoid detection as best she could.

Katja was starting to worry. As she settled into her hotel room and sent more texts to Beth, her mind wandered back to her sister. She was missing Rat terribly already...and she wasn't taking too kindly to Beth ignoring her like this.

Katja rummaged through her belongings to take out Beth's file, which she had made a point to take with her. As she did this, it occurred to her she'd failed to supply samples from Leigh, Rat and Aila, but there'd been no time to try and persuade them. Katja hoped the samples from herself, Danielle, Janika and Aryanna would be enough for the mysterious scientist she was so desperate to meet.

Katja made a note of Beth's address. She would go to Beth herself if she had to. Anything to get this over with so she could go home to Rat quickly.

And so began Katja's mission to grab Beth's attention. She'd hired a car to drive around the area, parking it outside of Beth's apartment. She was considering getting out to knock on Beth's door, but at that moment, Beth showed herself.

Katja stared at her from behind the windscreen, stunned. She flung her arm to the car door, ready to force it open and call Beth over to her, but then thought better of it, flashing her headlights at Beth instead. Beth seemed to notice, and Katja felt a wave of irritation hit her. What was Beth playing at? Why was she being so difficult?

Something caught Katja's attention. Someone else was approaching Beth – a man – and Katja drove the car away quickly, worried at the risk of being seen. The German swore under her breath. This was starting to feel hopeless.

The next time Katja saw Beth, her patience had worn thin. She'd followed Beth again, taking note of the fact the man was following her too. Upon inspecting Beth's file, she realised the man was Beth's partner.

Why was he stalking Beth like this? Was it connected to the Maggie Chen shooting? Or did he suspect something? Either way, time was running out, and Katja felt a strong urge to let the bold and rash side of herself take charge once more.

She waited until Beth came back into view after standing and staring at something with a pair of binoculars, and headed for her car. Katja lowered her sunglasses over her eyes, stepped out of her hiding place, and bolted.

She forced open the back door of Beth's car and threw herself into the seat, barely listening to the terrified gasp and look of horror coming from Beth when she jumped around in fright.

“Beth,” Katja said instantly and desperately, brandishing the pink clone phone before her. “Beth...vhy don't you respond to me?”

Beth stared at Katja with wide eyes. Katja trembled angrily when the cop pushed open her door and flew out of the car. “Beth!”

“Just keep away from me!” Beth cried as she rushed away from the car.

Katja removed her sunglasses to stare after as she got out of the car as well. “Beth, it's _Katja!_ ” the German told her in a raised voice. She heard Beth mutter something under her breath as she placed her hands on her head in distress. “Vhy no meeting, Beth? Vat happened?”

Beth could barely respond as she turned to face Katja. She hurried back to the car in panic as Katja hurried over to her. “I brought zee briefcase! Ja? Zee samples for your friend, Beth. I vas careful like you said!”

She didn't understand why Beth shrank back from her hair, holding her hands up as if Katja meant her harm. She couldn't _possibly_ have forgotten about all of this, could she?

“Just _stay back!_ ” Beth warned her.

Something wasn't right. Something was off. “I'm Katja. _Katja Obinger,_ Beth,” Katja told her desperately.

“Yeah,” Beth responded urgently. “I get it! The German! OK? I've _seen_ your birth certificate!”

“You asked for it – for _proof!_ ” Katja reminded her. Before she could question Beth's odd behaviour, the familiar yet horrible sensation of blood about to escape her overcame the German, and she leaned over to cough violently into the tissue in her hand. Beth watched in horror until Katja straightened up to look back at her. “Please,” Katja said weakly. “I need to see your scientist friend, Beth...”

Couldn't Beth see how desperate the situation was? What had happened to her since they last spoke to make her decide she didn't want any further part in this?

“I can't help you,” Beth said bluntly, jumping back into the car and slamming shut the door.

Katja stared, dumbfounded, before rushing to jump in the back.

“Get out the car!” Beth bellowed without turning to face her.

“Vhy are you doing zis?” Katja demanded. Was it because Beth was being watched? Was she just trying to be careful? “Your partner,” Katja added thoughtfully. That could be it, couldn't it? “He vas following you...”

Beth hesitated, a look of realisation apparently settling on her face. “You were the one in the black car?” she asked in a slightly calmer voice. “The one that flashed your lights...”

Katja nodded, a subtle frown appearing on her face. “Ja.”

Beth just shook her head. “You need to _go._ ”

“You're _police_ , Beth,” Katja said quietly. She reached out to lightly touch the detective on the arm. “Ve _need you-_ ”

“ _DON'T!_ ” Beth warned her angrily, yanking her arm away at Katja's touch. Katja let out an uncharacteristic gasp of surprise at the sudden movement. “ _Get out,_ ” Beth hissed at her.

Katja stared at her.

Oh no. This was all wrong. Everything about this was wrong. Katja's frown deepened.

This couldn't be...could it?

“Just one,” Katja spoke, never taking her eyes off the other clone's face. “I'm a few. No family too. Who am I?”

No verbal response came. The face of the other clone before Katja only stared back, brow furrowed in confusion and fear. A cold understanding washed over Katja.

“ _You are not Beth._ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who read our story, we really appreciate it <3 Part 2: Knowledge will begin next week. In the meantime, the authors would like to announce some exciting news! The Abandoned: Instinct is getting a comic adaptation, drawn by one of the authors of the story. Pages can be found on kobbzz.deviantart.com, and will be updated as they are finished.
> 
> Again, thank you for your time and support, and we'll see you in the next one!
> 
> ~DarkGodAkito & CharlieAmber


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